


His Own Way

by percyisasmartass



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alien Culture, Angst, Because what's star wars without angst am i right, Bottom Din Djarin, Breeding Kink, Consensual Sex, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Din gets railed ok, Dom/sub, Domestic Fluff, Dry Orgasm, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Force Choking, Gentle Kissing, Gentle Sex, Good Parent Din Djarin, I Made Myself Cry, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Intersex Species, Learning history, Loud Sex, Love Bites, Mainly just a reason to write smut with Mando because who doesn't want to fuck him, Mix between top and bottom, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Pegging, Porn With Plot, Praise Kink, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Safe Sane and Consensual, Soft Din Djarin, Sort of slow burn I guess?, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Touch-Starved Din Djarin, also total bottom vibes, get this man a fainting couch, intersex stewjon, somebody take care of Din Djarin please, then it turns, there's like so many tags to put but damn is it hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 150,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28107105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyisasmartass/pseuds/percyisasmartass
Summary: Faced with the guilt of breaking the only thing he knew growing up, Din faces the challenge of finding Grogu and getting him back safe and sound. However, when his path is lit up by a strange Jedi that reaches out a hand to help them, Din begins questioning what way he truly wants to walk.////No relation to Blood and Gold save for the OC's and plotline////
Relationships: Din Djarin & Boba Fett, Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Din Djarin & Fennec Shand, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 120





	1. "I am a Jedi, and I am going to help you."

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all, when I tell you I hopped on the bottom Din Djarin train so fast, I hopped on that shit fast. And thus it prompted this apparently. Hope you guys like it, leave a kudos or comment if you have questions or concerns or just like it! Thanks! More stuff will happen later, I promise.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this._

_That thought vanished the moment he told her to turn around, however. Her eyes were bright, seeming to glow with the hot spring pool's_ _bioluminescence light, the gold markings on her fair and freckled skin standing out with the glow. She immediately started taking in his appearance, her eyes raking from his hair, to his eyes, his facial features, down to his body that was a bit muddled by the water. His hands that sat in his lap covered his most private area, but right now, he felt more exposed than he ever did. But she didn't make a noise, she didn't make him feel cornered as she approached him, wading through the water carefully. Omera and Cara had their beauty, but this woman was off-worldly, with that refined, older, wiser look in her eye. Her beauty was different than any other person he'd met in the galaxy, but she was so breathtaking. Maybe that's why he had let his resolve down._

_She comes to a stop in front of him, facing him straight forward, despite him sitting on the natural bench inside the pool, and the moment that she's in front of him, it feels like all wind is knocked out of his lungs. She's beautiful, the spring making her skin glow, and she smells so good. Why does she smell good?_

_"Can I touch you?" She whispers, and he almost doesn't hear her because of the blood roaring in his ears, but he manages a weak nod. Slowly and gently, she lifts one of her hands out of the water, cupping his face softly._

_Oh._

_He melts against her hand with a soft noise from his throat, and she smiles softly, biting her lower lip at his noise. He hadn't been touched like that in... In... Oh, Kriff, who knows how long._

_Her thin and lanky fingers gently trail down his jawline, to his throat, then to the side of his neck, his ear, then back to his cheek. Then she lifts her other hand up, copying the action. She trails her thumb along his cheekbone and his eyes flutter at the gentleness of it all, almost too sensitive to the touch. Noises try to escape his throat but he pushes them down. He cannot let her know how sensitive he is. He already put down his guard enough, but he foregoes thinking at her next action. She slides her hand through his hair, through his messy, helmet hair curls, and he lets out a breathy moan at the feeling, then shudders when her nails gently scrape along his scalp. He resists jutting his hips forward, his fists clenched tightly in his lap. He can't resist the heat pooling in his crotch though, and he feels ashamed that just simple touches has already got him like this. Din hopes she doesn't notice. She slides her hand back down, her thumb outlining his ear, sliding alongside his jaw, before her hands settled on cupping the sides of his face. His gaze is hooded, and he's staring at her with an almost hungry and vulnerable look, and clearly, she sees his eyes glancing back and forth between her facial features and her lips. He doesn't seem to know how to breathe all of a sudden._

_"Can I kiss you?" Oh, Kriff yes! He almost shouts it, but words suddenly seem lost to him, so he nods, but apparently that's not good enough for her. "Cyare, I want verbal confirmation." Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. Did she just say a phrase in Mando'a? Because all to hell, this is going to be one insane ride. He melts against her, staring up at her with want and need, and manages a shaky, hungry, and weak:_

_"Yes, please." He didn't mean for the please to sound like begging, but oh gods, he'd beg for anything right now if it meant being closer to her. With a knowing smile, she leaned in and met his lips with her own._

Din woke up with a start, a fine layer of sweat coating his skin, making his outer garments cling to his body. He struggled to breathe, the little sleeping pod suddenly out of air, and he rubbed his chest to try to get his heart actually beating again. Once he did, he immediately reached up to check on Grogu, but there was no hammock. For a minute, he panicked, then realization crossed him.

Oh. Right.

He was on _Slave I._

Grogu was on Moff Gideon's ship after being taken from Din on Tython.

They were in a small hideout on a forest planet near the coordinates he'd gotten from Morak. And it'd been a little over three days since he'd taken off his helmet in front of a bunch of Imperials, and Mayfeld.

A pain hits his heart hard at the realization that his kid wasn't with him. Normally, when he would wake up, Grogu would be right there with him, cuddled up against his side, sleeping soundly, and sometimes, on a rare occasion, even snoring. But right now, Grogu was gone, and not with him, like he should be. But they have the coordinates. They have Moff Gideon's ship. And after the little holocall Din had sent the previous night, the Mandalorian hoped that they were a little terrified about the situation. After all, a Mandalorian sending a message that Moff Gideon had said beforehand was sure to be a little terrifying.

After making sure that no one else was in the ship, Din took a nice shower to rid the sweat off his body from that... That dream.

What in the galaxy was that? Sure, he would have some pent up dreams once in a very great while, but that dream... That felt almost too real. Like a vision or whatever they were called. Din, without thinking, lifts his hand and touches his jaw, remembering the way the woman had gently caressed his face, as if he was so precious that he would break with a rougher touch. He'd never seen the woman in his life, never had seen anyone who looked like her either, and the phrase she had whispered: _cyare,_ which meant beloved or loved, so tender, so loving, was enough to make him press his forehead against the shower's wall, trying to hang onto the dream as long as possible. But from what it seemed, the dream wasn't going away any time soon. He wondered if it was because of all the stress and sleep deprivation he's had, and maybe it all finally caught up to him, and that's why it happened. Yeah, that seemed suffice enough, he decided mentally. All because of stress.

He sighs to himself, resisting the urge, and finally decided that the shower was good enough. Boba, Fennec and Cara would come looking for him sooner or later.

* * *

Din got dressed slowly, but not because his body ached from Morak the other day, or because he couldn't fasten anything fast enough, because he had the fastens memorized, but rather, because he wanted to dress slowly. He remembered the brush of her legs against his in the pool, and nearly sat on the edge of the pod at the memory. She had looked at him so lovingly, so thoughtful, that he wants _more._ He realized that Grogu and Omera were the last ones to give him those kind of looks. But she was just a figment of his imagination. There would be no next time or wanting more. Finally, he pulled on his helmet, and went out to meet the others, his stride a little slower than usual. The Beskar weighed him down enough, but on top of the overall tiredness he felt, he felt like he was walking in slow motion. They'd set up a small campfire the night before, and now Cara sat by it again, cooking something over the flame. Fennec sat on the ground nearby, cleaning her rifle carefully, the parts laying out in front of her on a cloth so she can clean them individually. Fett was nowhere to be found at the moment. Maybe in the cockpit or something.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us." Fennec comments first as he makes his way down the ramp, never taking her eyes off her rifle. Cara laughs.

"I know, I always pegged you for an early riser."

"Felt like sleeping in." He replies gruffly, sitting down on a crate across from Cara. "Where's Fett?"

"Doing a scout around." Cara replies. "Should be back soon." As soon as the sentence left her mouth, Fett came out from the forest, taking off his helmet as he walked over.

"Nice to see you awake. Thought you might have suffocated in the pod." Fett says, giving him a rough pat on the shoulder.

"If you were all so concerned about me sleeping, why didn't you wake me?"

"Eh, with all that you have been through recently, we figured you needed it." Oh. That was understandable, at least. Din doesn't say anything in response, staring at the food cooking over the flame instead.

"So, we should go over the plan." Fett says as he takes a seat on a crate next to him. He pulled the holo out of his utility belt, showing the coordinates of Gideon's ship.

"The ship will be armored and guarded to the teeth, so we will have to approach with caution. The transport ship we were able to target will be passing overhead in about four hours. We'll have to act quick if we want to grab it. Once we are on the ship, you and I will head to find the child, and Cara and Fennec will watch our backs so we're not detected. The smaller group we have, the better chances of escaping quicker we have." Din points out the lower level of the cruiser, where the cells were, drawing an invisible circle around the area.

"It'll be difficult, especially after my message. They'll have it locked down with trooper after trooper, but we should be okay on our own. As long as we get in there, grab him, and leave as fast as possible, we should be good."

"But what happens if you do encounter Moff Gideon?"

The four jumped up in a millisecond, the plan forgotten as their blasters pointed in the direction the voice came from.

Din's breath left him.

_No way._

She looked almost like a goddess from the legends of old, _ethereal_ looking. Her copper red hair was in a braid over her shoulder, gold threads weaving in it. Her eyes, the same color of the sky and sea, stared at them unimpressively, but a smile played on those soft looking pink lips that he remembered being so close to him. The gold markings were still there, and freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. She wore dark colored robes, similar to Ahsoka's robes, but a little tighter in some places, and not as baggy. Two lightsaber handles hung from her belt, and she sat crosslegged on a lone crate about ten feet away. How did they not notice her?

Din didn't know what the hell was going on. He was about to ask who she was, but she locked eyes with him, despite his visor, and his own voice left him immediately.

"Who are you?" Fett asked gruffly, and Din felt a bit of relief. He mentally thanks Fett for speaking up, because apparently, he couldn't, for whatever forsaken reason.

"Well, I _was_ looking for Grogu, but I suppose I'll have to look more now." Her accent is moderate, prim and proper, like a royal's or delegate's. Not an accent you find common in the post-empire world. But Din's voice finally came back to him, and he slowly lowered his blaster as realization dawned on him. No one held a lightsaber (Ahsoka would be proud), and didn't call themselves a Jedi. Grogu had succeeded in calling for a Jedi, it seemed.

"You're a Jedi?"

"I am." Her voice were like punches to his chest, and he remembers it oh so vividly from the dream. The way she whispered those loving words, her lips closing in on his-

 _Snap out of it!_ He told himself. Thank the Maker that he wore a helmet.

"I heard Grogu's call through the Force, but when I arrived on Tython, all I found was bodies and your ship's wreckage, I assume. I had difficulty tracking you, but..." She smiles knowingly, and a shudder wracks his body. Thankfully, the others are still staring at her, blasters still raised.

"Mando, is it safe?" Cara asks, caution in her voice. The woman tilts her head at Cara, then looks back at Din for an answer, as if testing him.

"Yes. If she's looking for the child, she can be trusted." Din surprises himself with how steady his voice is. Slowly, the three lower their weapons and holster them, but their hands never leave the top of the blasters. The woman tilts her head curiously, analyzing them all carefully and in consideration.

"So, who are you then? If you are a Jedi, do... Whatever Jedi's do." Fennec says, gesturing at her. The woman snorts, leaning forward to lay her elbows on her legs, a coy smile on her lips, and she stares directly at Din.

"Din should know, right?" She practically _purrs._ Din is suddenly very happy for his helmet, because if they could see his face, he'd look like a molten lava rock. He could feel the heat within the helm, and it only increased when they turned to look at him questioningly.

"What does she mean by that?" Fett asks, then looks at Din curiously. "Is that your name? Din?" He doesn't answer.

"Din Djarin." The woman purrs again, her accent making his name sound so enthralling, and she never took her eyes off of him. Din wants to die right then and there because for whatever reason in the galaxy, her voice seems to know how to hit every one of his spots perfectly, without even touching him. Was it because of the dream? "I'm surprised. After all, you guys are working in close quarters with each other." Din doesn't answer that either, and the woman shrugs, pursing her lips in disappointment.

"Well, no matter." She says, extending her legs and standing up. The lightsabers dangle, and they're all pleasantly surprised that she's actually quite tall. She crosses her arms and grins at them. "My name is Amalas Kenobi. I am a Jedi, and I am going to help you."


	2. "Then it'll be quite fun teaching you."

Fett's eyes narrowed dangerously, Din noticed, after she introduced herself. Amalas didn't strike him as the type to have quarrels, but then again, he did just meet her five minutes ago. Did these two have history? If so, what _kind_ of history? Not that Din wanted to know, because that was private, of course. But still. Din heard a tiny voice in the back of his mind, telling him to be nosy when he had no business being nosy. He squashed it immediately.

"Kenobi." He hisses, and Amalas smiles infuriatingly at him, tilting her head at him sweetly.

"Wow, you look horrible, Boba."

"You look like you haven't aged a day."

"I give good credit to good genes. Also, not being thrown in a sarlacc pit helps greatly, too. And not being in the desert for years." Fett gives a noise of irritation. "But you look good now, at least."

"Thanks to him." He gestures to Din, giving him an approving head nod. "He returned my armor to me." Amalas smiles softly, her eyes growing kinder at that, and she glances over at Din before crossing her arms, looking at Fett with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, so, how will you fit me into this plan of yours?" Cara scoffs, staring at her with an incredulous look on her face.

"I'm sorry?"

"Dune, don't." Fett warns, and Din knows why. He watched a Jedi in action, so he knows what one is capable of. "We will figure it out. Would you like to stay for some breakfast?"

"That would be great." Fett invites her over, and she takes a seat next to Fett instead of Din, despite her torturous acts just a few minutes earlier. Din noticeably scoots further away from her, trying to remain as cool as he can. Again, he was very glad he wore a helmet.

Fennec pipes up after a second, having returned to cleaning her rifle.

"Kenobi... I feel like I've heard that name before."

"It's my family name." Amalas says. "Perhaps you heard the legends of General Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Fett snorted as he sipped from his cup, getting a glare from her in response.

"Some legend he was." He mutters, making Amalas snort, casting him another glare.

"Thanks."

"He was your father?" Cara asks. "When I was with the Rebellion, I remember some talk about the former Jedi. He was one of the names." Amalas nods, wringing her hands together as she leans forward to place her elbows on her knees. Din doesn't know why, but _kriff,_ that action is so... Hot, he concludes, not that he wants to. The sun makes the red hair shimmer and light up, the gold threads complimenting the red quite well. The longer he stares at her, the more he's entranced by her. Why was she having such an effect on him, when he didn't even know her?

"My mother was Duchess Satine of Mandalore, of Clan Kryze." At that, Din picks up his head, looking straight at her through the visor of his helmet. He knows no one can see his facial expressions, but he swears that this woman could see right through him. She stares at him for a moment, before turning her attention to Cara. _My name is Bo-Katan, of Clan Kryze._ Did this mean that this... This Jedi was her niece? What the hell?

"Hold up, you're part Mandalorian? Like, of the original planet?" Cara asks, raising her eyebrows high with question. Amalas nods, smiling softly, sending a glance toward Din, before returning her attention to the others.

"Her mother tried to change the face of Mandalore." Fett says, and he gets almost a sympathetic look on his face. "But..." Amalas looks down at her shoes, a dark look coming over her face as she seems to remember that day. The air changes noticeably, before Fennec clears her throat.

"So, you lived through the Clone Wars?" Fennec asks. "I was young, but I remember it enough."

"Yes. I even fought in it as well. I was young, but I would've changed the course of the war if the damn Emperor hadn't gotten in the way." She sits up straight, reaching down and untucking the side of her shirt on the bottom right, slowly lifting it, and causing Din to suck in a breath, that thankfully, his helmet's modulator didn't pick up. She lifted her shirt hem, to show a cascade of almost lightning marks from her naval stretching all across her stomach.

"Damn Imp got me with Force lightning in our battle before I could reveal his true plans."

"The hell is Force Lightning?" Fennec asks as she connects her rifle back together.

"Something you hope to never experience." She replies. "Or Force choked."

"Force choked?" Cara pauses, thinking, then looks at Din, the puzzle clicking together. "That's what he did to me." Din nods.

"It seems so." Amalas stands, tucking her shirt back in and staring at Din curiously, before looking over at Cara.

"Grogu choked you?"

"We were arm wrestling awhile back, and yeah, he choked me."

"Most interesting..." Amalas hums thoughtfully. "He must've thought you were hurting Din, that's why he did it."

"Makes sense." Cara mutters. "I guess." Amalas chuckles.

"Feelings are a very powerful thing to a Force user. With training, they can walk the Light side with ease. But if one was to give into those feelings," Amalas locks gazes with Din, and his breath leaves him, "the Dark side takes over. And usually, the Dark side takes what it wants." There's some sort of fire behind her eyes, and he suddenly feels like he's suffocating in his helmet. From that sentence alone, it felt like she was talking about him. 

"And you? Do you walk the light side or the dark side?" Fennec asks, an edge to her voice. Amalas stares at her for a moment before she smiles coolly.

"I walk in between."

* * *

Cara sliced the meat off the breakfast, setting a bowl aside for Din thoughtfully, and everyone else ate peacefully. Amalas took an interest in the other three, but she asked no questions that were specifically directed toward Din. She asked for stories from the three about their years, how Fett survived the pit on Tattooine, how Fennec became the hunter she was, how Cara became a Marshal of the New Republic. She asked for stories on how they grew up, and took a genuine, personal interest in them all. Of course, at first, they were stiff from the concern that she might kill them in a single move, but as they talked, they noticeably got more relaxed. Amalas put out a good feeling to them, relaxing them, reassuring them that she was their ally, not their enemy.

Din still had his reservations, though.

After breakfast, Fett stood, gesturing for Fennec and Amalas to stand as well. 

"We should discuss how you will fit into this plan. You two clean up. Let's go talk in the ship." Amalas nods in agreement, and she follows Fennec and Fett into the ship.

Her finger brushes the fabric of his clothing where his pauldron doesn't cover as she passes him, and an electric shock runs through his body. And he's been electrocuted before, so that was saying a lot. But it wasn't a painful shock, rather it was pleasant, and it made his body burn with need for some unknown reason. The hell did she do to him!?

Cara smirks at him once they're alone, making him stare at her.

"What?" He gruffed out.

"What's up with you and the Jedi? Have you met before?"

"No."

"You sure? Because there is definitely a lot of chemistry going on between you two. Felt like electric pulses in the air." She sets to cleaning up around the camp area as she talks nonchalantly, noticing his growing agitation, but she seems to enjoy it more than she's bothered by it.

"I have never seen her before in my life."

"Liar."

"I am not lying." Cara turns around to face him, her fists on her hips in that "I don't believe you" kind of stance. He clutches the plate of meat in his lap, feeling a bit vulnerable in that moment.

"So, what is it then? Because the last time I saw that kind of chemistry it was between you and Omera on Sorgan." Din goes quiet at that. "Mando, come on. I've known you long enough to know what's going on. Did you have a dream of her or something?" He's quiet for a second.

"Something like that." Cara pauses.

"Oh. Well, wasn't expecting that." She sits down on the crate next to him. "We just met her today."

"I know." He struggles to find the words. "I don't know what it was. But she did something to me, and I don't know how to understand it."

"Did something to you?" Cara lifts her head to the ship, narrowing her eyes. "Did she hurt you?"

"No. It... It wasn't like that. I don't know how to explain it." Din swallows thickly at the memory of her hands on his bare face, her look so soft and loving, and so _inviting._ That's what got him. It was how open she was to him in the dream. Would she be like that in real life he wondered? He may or may not have wanted to test that theory.

Cara stares at him, and she makes a small "oh" sound.

"You mean it was... _Intimate_." His breath catches.

"Yes." He rasps out.

"Oh."

"I think... I think it was her Jedi powers."

"What, like she sent you the dream?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Heh, looks like the Jedi likes the Mandalorian." She teases. "So much for being ancient enemies." He grumbles under his breath, and thankfully, before she can tease him any further, Fett, Fennec and Amalas come down from the ship. They stand to face them, and _oh my god,_ she's standing a few feet away from him, and just her presence is making his body heat up. Why? Just. Why?

"We have revised the plan." Fett announces.

"And what's that?" Cara asks, crossing her arms, still occasionally glancing over at Din.

"Amalas will go in first. Apparently, she knows her way around Imperial ships."

"Been a few." She says, shrugging one shoulder. "I've been in the cruiser that Moff Gideon has, not the same one, but a version of it. I know the layout better than a small holo map would." Fett nods.

"Once she is in, she will go to the main control room, where either Gideon will be, or where he will not be. From there, she will cause a distraction away from the cells. Then Din and I will head in, and Dune and Fennec will head to cause another distraction. If we make their troops scarce from the child, we have a stronger chance of leaving with our lives."

"Having a Jedi with us will definitely heighten our chances." Cara points out, then looks at Din. "Didn't you fight alongside a Jedi?"

"Yes. I've seen what they can do, and they are more than capable." He receives a warm look from Amalas in reply to that, making his insides heat up. _Dank_ _ferrick._ Why did she make him feel like this? He shouldn't feel this way with a woman he just met.

"So you met Ahsoka, then." She says.

"She's the one who directed me to Tython." He replies, his voice gruff and guarded. Amalas hums.

"I'm assuming that's where you got that staff from?"

"Yes."

"Lovely." She says. "Beskar?"

"Yes."

"Man of few words, this one." Cara teases, nudging him by his shoulder. "We should let him go eat. Want to help me with some of these crates? Show me what a full grown Jedi can do?" Amalas simply laughs, not taking any offense to that at all, and follows Cara to the crates. Again, she walks by him, this time brushing the back of his hand with her own slyly. No one else notices.

He nearly passes out.

* * *

The meat was definitely better the rations and energy bars they had been living off of, so that was a plus. Everyone gave him privacy while he ate, then he rejoined them outside just as they were finishing up with the last of the crates. He stood still when he saw Amalas standing in the middle of camp, using simple motions of her hands to move crates into the places Fett wanted them. Her shirt moves with her muscles, her arms muscular. Not Cara muscular, but muscular enough. He wondered how she would be in a hand to hand fight.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Fennec comments as she comes to stand next to him. "She's really strong." Din doesn't say anything to that, continuing to admire her form. Was it bad he honestly kind of wanted her arms around him? Holding him? _Loving_ him? He was honestly really wanting that at the moment.

Amalas could read minds, apparently, because she caught his look, and gave him a sly smile that made his body shiver. No. He was not going to fall for it. He couldn't. Not while his kid was somewhere on an Imp's ship, alone and without him.

_Not yet, at least._

Din nearly collapsed at the sound of her voice in his head, her accent causing a smooth feeling to go down his body. He immediately shut off all brain activity, stopping whatever that was, and turned his attention to Fett.

"Will we be leaving soon?" He asks. Fett nods.

"Yes. His ship will be in the orbit in about an hour. Until then, prepare. I'd like for you to go with Amalas to retrieve her ship and meet us back here." At that, Din was ready to protest, but he was in no mood to do so with the older Mandalorian. He grunted an agreement.

This is the opposite what he wanted.

* * *

Her ship was up on a ridge a few miles from where their campsite was. Again, Din wondered how they didn't notice her. Amalas led the way, deftly hopping over trunks or rocks, stepping lightly, and minding her pace. That was something Din had admired about Ahsoka. How she was able to move with such ease and agility, how she managed to just glide on the ground like a feather. Din wondered if all Jedi had that light characteristic to them. Sure, Grogu was a baby, so he wondered if in the future, would he develop the same featherlight walk?

"So, Din." He nearly trips over a root when she speaks, her accent washing over him like a current. "Tell me more about yourself."

"Not much to tell." He replies.

"Oh, please. I know there's a person under all that armor." She waves at him mindlessly as she stepped over a branch lightly. "Tell me how you came across Grogu."

"The Imps set a bounty on his head, and I took it. I brought him to the client but I couldn't leave him there once I found out how old he was. They said the bounty was fifty years old, but then I got there and he was just a baby."

"His species age differently, slower than others. The last one of his kind died at almost a thousand years old."

"He can live that long?"

"Apparently." She scoffs. "Yoda always was an old fart."

"So you knew him too? Ahsoka mentioned him as well."

"Yes." And doesn't go any further. Must've been bad memories, then. "And then you took him in?"

"I couldn't leave him like that." He replies, almost too soft for his taste. But it was true. When he saw him in that cradle, all thoughts of getting the bounty went out of his head. And then turning him over almost broke his heart.

"So, the man of steel does have a heart." She hums in satisfaction. "Good to know." What did _that_ mean?

"What about you?" He forces out roughly. He really did want to know her, but he also didn't want to know her. Did that make sense? "You said your mother was duchess of Mandalore and your father was a Jedi?"

"Yes. They both served in the time of the Clone Wars. My father was a General in the Order, and my mother advocated for peace, to try to change the face of Mandalore. After all, Mandalore's past was just filled with violence and war, and she wanted to change that. They met when they were young."

"Ancient enemies, huh?" She lets out a short laugh, making his stomach turn in happy little movements. Her laugh was gentle and sweet, and he wanted to hear it more and more for some reason.

"When a young Jedi is in training, they were called Padawans. When my father was a Padawan, he and his master were sent to protect my mother from bounty hunters and insurgents that didn't want to see her take the throne. They spent a year, apparently, running all over Mandalore." Running from people who wanted to see you dead was all too familiar.

"The Great Purge rid everyone of everything, including the Jedi." He points out. "Why are you still alive?" She throws her head back and laughs.

"I was one of the lucky ones, I suppose. Not to mention I was never in the Jedi Order in the first place."

"Then how are you a Jedi?"

"The planet that I grew up on is strong with the Force. I inherited those abilities from my father. My parents, however, did not know I existed until we came out of the shadows."

"What do you mean?"

"I am a product of the Force. I was not conceived, rather I was born into existence simply because the Force willed it."

"The hell?" Is all he can say to that. The more he learns about this Force the more weirded out he becomes. Seeing the mud horn float in midair when he found Grogu was weird enough, but as he learns more, he has to say that the Force is weird. Amalas chuckles.

"Yes, my parents did not know they had managed to get the Force to produce a child for them. My grandparents were the ones to raise me, but I considered them my parents just as much as I did Satine and Obi-wan."

"The Force is weird." He mutters.

"Yes, yes it is." She agrees.

"So, this planet was your father's home planet, right?"

"Yes, it's still my home today."

"What is it? I've never seen anyone of your kind before."

"My planet's name is Stewjon." He stops short at that, and at hearing his steps halt, she stops as well, turning to face him, tilting her head like a loth cat.

"Stewjon was destroyed in the days of the Old Republic." He states, not believing it for a moment, and she smiles, shaking her head.

"That's what we wanted people to believe, so our people were kept safe." She eyes him carefully, and he swears she's staring straight into his eyes. "What do you know of Stewjon?"

"Not much. All I know is that it was enslaved, then destroyed."

"So you don't know about our species or anything relating to my planet?"

"No."

An almost predatory smile comes to her face, and suddenly, he goes as stiff as a board, not moving a muscle at the look, but his hand does creep to his blaster. Slowly, Amalas makes her way back down to him, paying no attention to his hand over his blaster, coming and stopping in front of him, only about half a foot between them, and tilts her head. Up close, her markings are more distinguished, and he can get a better look at them. In between her eyebrows is a small marking that looks like two open flower petals, three tiny dots above it. Underneath both eyes were identical lines that curved softly on her cheek, followed her cheekbone and then looped into itself, facing outward, the curve almost to her eye. A small dot was on the end of the tail towards the middle of her face. Freckles dot her face like constellations, and even through his helmet, she smells _so good._ Like the flowers that bloom during the spring solstice and the smell of a clean and pure ocean.

He steadies his breathing, swallowing thickly, hoping she doesn't hear it. Her shirt was a high collared shirt, similar to what Ahsoka was wearing, with a small gold necklace around her neck with a clear crystal on it. Din realizes he didn't really pay attention to her appearance before, the morning still fresh in his mind when she did show up. She wears fingerless gloves that stop at the forearm with silver gauntlets similar to his, but without the tech incorporated in them. They're a smooth polish with gorgeous engravings that just spiral around elegantly. Din realizes that she's literally his height, but her lanky figure makes her seem taller. On her biceps were gold markings as well, that spiraled around each other prettily like bands. Her pants were tight around the waist, loose around the hips and thighs, then tightened towards her short boots that apparently made her weightless. Her hair shimmered in the light, the gold accenting it perfectly. Her body was clearly muscular, judging by her biceps, and feminine but not weak. Din distantly wonder how it looked underneath those clothes. To him, she was unreal.

_Why is she so close?_

"Then you don't know of my kind." Amalas says quietly, and he resists the shudder.

"Not much." He says, and his voice sounds strained. The smile grows at that, and she reaches up and places her left hand on his chest plate. Din doesn't dare to breathe.

"Then it'll be quite fun teaching you." Amalas purrs, and at that, he nearly faints.


	3. "We all have our own beliefs, don't we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO chapters in one day. This is the best roll I have been on in so long. Hope you guys enjoy this one!

The cruise down to the ship is quiet and uncomfortable, and Din isn't sure what to say. He's still highly uncomfortable being in such proximity with her, especially after her little taunt earlier. Amalas seems perfectly fine, and Din concludes that she's a sadist. Her ship is small, with a nice sized cockpit, a small cargo hold and two wings. Din supposed that if you were alone, you didn't need much.

It made him think of the Razor Crest.

Once they land, Din puts as much distance between them as possible, and everyone groups to go over the plan once more.

"Amalas will arrive on the ship first, then once she gives the all clear and has the distraction set in motion, we arrive. It'll be rough, especially since Gideon has those new droids." Amalas raises an eyebrow at that. Apparently that was news to her.

"New droids?"

"They're the ones who took the kid. They were so fast that we didn't have time to react." Fennec says, and Amalas's eyes grow dark at that. She crosses her arms and strokes her chin thoughtfully.

"We'll have to be mindful of them." She murmurs. It sounds like she was talking to herself.

"Then we shall be on our way." Amalas looks up at Din, and he tries not to look at her, but she captures his attention once more.

"Oh, before we leave, I have something to give you, Din." He looks at Amalas as she turns and walks back into her ship. They all exchange looks with each other, before turning back as she comes out, something long in her hand. At first, it looks like a staff, but then as she walks closer, Din's heart clenches.

"I believe this belongs to you." And hands over his rifle.

His beautiful, once thought lost, Pulse Fire Rifle that he thought was destroyed with the Razor Crest. He takes it numbly, staring at it. It's in tact, not a scratch on it, and he nearly tears up as he holds it once again. He'd looked through the wreckage, but apparently he missed something. And oh Maker, was he happy to see it. Now, all he needed was Grogu in his arms again, and then he'd really be complete.

"After picking around through the wreckage, I found it nearby. It must've been blown off before it totally went boom." He grips it tightly, never wanting to let it go again. He levels his gaze at her, giving a grateful nod to her.

"Thank you." He manages out. She smiles at him warmly.

"Let's go get your kid back."

* * *

Like the plan, Amalas got onboard the ship first. The cruiser didn't pick up their ship thanks to the jammer, and Amalas was able to get on easily. They all wore communication links so they would be able to communicate easily and at least know where everyone was.

It was quiet for a while on her end, so hopefully that meant things were going well. Din's anxiety was through the roof with this mission, and at least the helmet covered his face. He kept his body movements still but relaxed, trying not to focus on the fact that Grogu was somewhere on the ship, alone, probably hungry, and cold, and terrified. He tried so desperately, but the longer the silence stretched on, the more the thoughts filled his mind. He checks his weapons and gear every so often, adjusting the staff and rifle on his back, checking his ammunition, the whistling birds, the flamethrower, and his blaster. Din can't help it, it's a nervous habit apparently.

The sound of blaster fire filled the line, breaking his thought process, and he mentally thanked the sudden danger. If there was blaster fire, then Amalas either ran into troopers or she made it to the control room.

They heard the hum of a lightsaber before cries as she took everybody down quickly and efficiently. The line went quiet a few seconds later, and the hum of the lightsaber faded.

_"I'm in the control room. Gideon isn't here."_

"Good. Set the distraction."

 _"On it."_ There was beeping and pressing of buttons before they heard an explosion on the far end of the ship, away from the cells. He hears Amalas giggle quietly at the sound.

"What did you do?" Cara asks, a bit concerned about the joy about blowing something up.

_"Set off a tie fighter in the hanger. They'll be occupied with that for awhile. I'll see if I can cause more distractions while you move in."_

"Just don't blow up the ship before we're off of it." Din says gruffly.

 _"You with little faith."_ She hums.

Din and Fett break away from Cara and Fennec, heading down to the cells below. They occasionally have to pause when they hear troopers, sometimes a robotic announcement coming over and saying that there's been an explosion in this area or this area. When Amalas said a distraction, she meant it. Din had to say it: the woman was smart and cunning. And those made her incredibly attractive.

 _"You two are just about to hit the cells, one more corridor down south and you're there. He's in cell 229."_ Amalas says over the line. _"You have troopers coming in down the corridor heading east."_

They hide behind pillars, the troops passing quickly, paying no attention to anything around them. After they turned, Din and Fett continued down the hallway, searching for the right cell. Finally, Din saw it, his urgency growing higher each second.

"Fett, over here! Can you open the door?"

Amalas was quiet, but then the cell door opened with a hiss, and there, laying on the bench was Grogu, asleep with tiny white cuffs on him. Din rushes over to him, gently shaking him to try to wake him up.

"Hey, kid. Grogu, wake up." He turns to Fett, urgency present in his voice. "We need to get these off." Fett nods, producing a small lock-pic from his utility belt. A couple of turns later and the cuffs let out a hiss before falling off.

"Grogu." He whispers, and picks him up gently, holding him close to his chest. The child coos softly, but doesn't wake.

"We have the child." Fett says. A few sighs of relief come over the line.

_"Good. Everyone, head back to the ship. Meet you there."_

Din gently wrapped Grogu in the blanket he'd brought, then into his little bag that he'd carry him in. Grogu didn't make a move, but he did relax at the feeling of the soft blanket and the comfort of the bag. He made soft tiny noises in response, settling down happily. Din allows himself to finally breathe, nodding at Fett.

"Let's go."

* * *

Din and Fett were able to meet up with Cara and Fennec quickly, their eyes softening at the sight of the child sleeping.

"Is he okay?" Cara asks softly.

"I don't know. He's asleep, but..." Din gently lays his hand on his head, his fingers gliding along the long ears. "I'm not sure if he's been harmed. It didn't look like it." They nod.

"Where's Amalas? This is our rendezvous point. She should be here." Fennec asks. Before Din can talk into the link, they freeze at the new voice that comes over the line.

 _"So, the Mandalorian has employed a Jedi to do his work now? I suppose that call was all talk and no bite."_ They hear Amalas chuckle darkly at Gideon.

 _"I work for no one."_ Her voice is low, and it sends an unusual thrall down Din's back. _"You have something of mine I want back. If you decide to duel, we might as well do it here in the hangar, yeah?"_

They all look at each other, taking off in a run, Fett pulling up the map on his wrist, showing the beacons of them running, then finding Amalas's beacon in the main hangar. It's a short trip, so they come out onto a balcony overlooking the hangar, and spot Amalas and Gideon facing off, fleets of troopers in formation, all blasters aiming at her.

Gideon narrows his eyes coolly at her, not falling for her trap apparently.

"I suppose if you want something, you must take it forcefully."

"Like you did with the child?" Her voice is steady, firm and holds a strong commanding tone to it. "You take what doesn't belong to you and exploit it for your own means when you have no right." Gideon chuckles darkly, a smile on his face.

"Wise words from someone with little experience." Amalas's back is turned to them, but Din knows she's burning holes into his body with her eyes.

"Idiotic words from someone with such a small brain capacity." She shoots back quickly and Din almost wants to laugh. "But I do expect that, coming from an Imperial." The smile fades from his face quickly, a murderous expression taking over. Din's gut does a rollover.

"Kill her."

The troopers raise their blasters, but Amalas is faster, smarter. She uses the Force to jump onto crates, dodging the fire quickly. She looks up, thrusting out her arms and hands before making a tugging motion, and before their eyes, two Special Force Tie Fighters come off their bays, and plow into the fleet of troopers, taking out most if not all the troopers. The ships explode as they are destroyed, pieces of shrapnel flying everywhere. They actually have to duck a few times because of the severity.

Gideon shields his face before pointing at her, shouting something they couldn't hear over the alarms.

The droids that had taken the kid descend on her, the thrusters loud and fierce, the droids sinister looking. Amalas crouches low before hopping away again, dodging them and causing them all to dog-pile one another. She lands a few feet away with a perfect stance, her hand gliding on the ground, glaring at Gideon before turning her attention to the droids as they got their bearings. They untangled themselves, flying at her at a high speed, and in a moment, they're laying on the ground in a bunch of burning pieces.

The white lightsabers' glow brightly, illuminating her pants as she steps forward to face Gideon once again.

"I want one." Fennec whispers.

"Same." Cara agrees.

Amalas raises her right lightsaber to point it at Gideon, her stance showing she was ready to spring. Din has a sudden urge to go and stand next to her, to show that he's not afraid, that he supports her, but he also knows that she can handle herself.

"Fight me like a man." She growls out, and it causes his breath to catch again. Seriously!? What did this woman do to him!? Curse that dream! Gideon slowly reaches to his belt, and takes the hilt of something, extending it to ignite it.

A dark sinister blade extends out, the tip slanted unlike Amalas's straight pointed sabers. At that, Amalas lowers her sabers, and even powers down her left one, hooking it back on her belt. She straightens as they stare at each other, holding her saber slightly slanted as she stares him down.

"That belongs to me." She says sternly. He laughs.

"You are not Mandalorian! If you were, you'd be dressed like one, not like a Jedi!" Amalas simply smiles, tilting her head.

"We all have our own beliefs, don't we?" And like a flash of lightning, she lunges, and surprisingly, Gideon counters. She pushes against him fiercely, white on black, before he pushes her away with unusual strength and they begin to circle each other. Din notices the smallest hint of a smile on her face as they circle, their lightsabers humming, but they were different hums. The darksaber was deep and low with a magnetizing hum to it, an almost sinister hum at that. Amalas's saber was low, but it had a higher pitch to it as it hummed, more pure than the other man's saber.

Din swallowed thickly once more. Her eyes were moving, analyzing every part of Gideon to determine his weaknesses. Was that a power of the Jedi, too? Scoping out one's weakness? Did she do that on _them?_

Without another word, the two launch into a flurry of black and white, the sabers making noises every time they connect. Surprisingly, Gideon is light on his feet like Amalas, moving swiftly and blocking or dodging her attacks. But she's a perfect match against Gideon, matching his movements, blocking what he thinks is the perfect move, and they move so fast that Din almost becomes dizzy.

They lunge away from each other, and Amalas lifts her hand quickly, a crate marked explosive lifting up. She thrusts it toward him, but surprisingly, he manages to dodge it, doing a roll to get away. The crate explodes, the heat filling the air briefly before dissipating.

"I take back what I said." Gideon comments over the roaring of the flames. "You are an admirable enemy. But not a good enough enemy." Amalas laughs, the flames behind her lighting her up and making it seem like her hair was part of the flames as well. She takes her other saber, igniting it and extending her arms to show the wreckage she caused, fixing him with a stare that could melt steel.

"Not good enough? I've been training since I was a year old. I know the ways of the old Jedi, the Sith and even my own technique. You," she points her saber at him, her face dark, "are not good enough, Moff Gideon. You will never be good enough to wield the Darksaber. You never have been worthy, and you never will be worthy."

Gideon, to their surprise, loses his cool demeanor, lets out an angry snarl and lunges at her, but she thrusts out her hand and pushes him back with the Force. He keeps his balance after being knocked away like so, and lunges at her again. This time, her lightsaber powers down. She moves her body quickly, roundhouse kicking him in the face, then pushes her hand out and the saber in Gideon's hands is knocked away, coming to a halt near the flames.

Her left saber stills against his neck as they stand face to face, staring at each other, neither moving a muscle.

"A Jedi never kills." Gideon hisses out. He's smug, clearly thinking he has some sort of leverage over her. Amalas just grins darkly, her blue eyes dark with the burning of the flames. The air suddenly becomes dark and twisted, like all of it was being sucked out.

"I am no Jedi."

The white of her lightsaber appears on the other side of Gideon's back, and Gideon falls.

Din takes a step back, fear suddenly washing over him. He can tell that it falls on the others, too, with the way they take a step back as well. Was this what the Jedi were like in the old days? Or...

_I walk in between._

Amalas powers her sabers down, Gideon's body falling to the floor unceremoniously, hooking the sabers on her belt once again, and walks to where the darksaber lay. The flames were too close to it, so she reaches out and the saber flies into her hand. She lifts her head to them, and makes contact with Din, giving him a small nod. He manages a nod back, surprised by his coherency. 

"Let's get out of here, shall we?"

* * *

Literally the moment they disengaged _Slave I,_ the cruiser blew up into a very beautiful explosion, scattering wreckage across the void. Fett immediately gets them into route back to the planet so they can take Amalas back to her ship, but it was going to be a ride. So, Cara and Fennec set to keeping Fett company in the cockpit, giving Din and Amalas time alone with Grogu, who was just waking up.

Din almost sobs in relief when Grogu opens his eyes, cooing softly and weakly. He gently lays his hand on Grogu's stomach, wishing the baby could see the relief on his face. But Grogu seems to know, and he moves his three fingered hands down to hold his thumb, cooing softly.

"You okay?" He whispers, and receives a noise that meant yes. Din had gotten quite good at reading his coos and understanding which each one meant. Amalas kept her distance so they could have their reunion, but he can feel her eyes on him as he appreciates having Grogu in his arms again.

"I have something for you." He finds the small ball from the lever from his ship, and his eyes light up as he takes it from Din, looking up at him happily. "You're safe now. I promise. I won't let anything else happen to you from now on." Grogu reaches up, and Din takes him into a soft hug, his eyes wetting.

"You're like a father to him." Amalas says, repeating the same thing Ahsoka had said before she gave him directions to Tython. Din looks up at her. She's sitting on a crate near the ramp, which was odd, since there were seats right there, but this woman was weird enough, so he didn't bother thinking about it. The darksaber wasn't in sight, making him distantly wonders where she put it, but Grogu gets his attention again, and when he looks down at him, the kid staring at the woman, entranced just like he was.

"You recognize her?" He asks, standing and coming over to sit on the crate across from her, and he sets him in his lap. A part of him, well most of him actually, is terrified that if he puts him down again, he'll disappear again. Grogu coos at her, and she smiles, bowing her head to him.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm glad you were able to call out into the Force." The ball is still tightly in his hands as everything goes quiet as the two communicate, just like when they met Ahsoka. Occasionally, darkness flickers over her face, but she listens to him without seeming to interrupt. Finally, she lifts her head up to him and nods.

"I will train him." Din's shoulders visibly relaxes to that, and he almost can't believe it.

"You will?"

"Yes. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to come with us."

"I'm not a Jedi-"

"You're his father." She cuts him off, making him purse his lips behind the helmet. "His attachment to you is strong, and I feel that will only lead him down a path of darkness if you two are separated. He will do better if you are with him." He can't really argue with that, because secretly, he's glad that he'll have to be with him, so he dips his helmet slowly. Then he notices the kid gnawing on the ball, and his heart hurts at the realization.

"He must be hungry." He says and starts to look around for the extra meat that was left over from the morning. Amalas finds it first, seeming to read his mind about what he was looking for and presents it to him carefully.

"You want food, Grogu?" Grogu coos, those big eyes lighting up at the sound of his name and his favorite word: food. Amalas sits next to Din and his heart pretty much stops at the sudden closeness. Her arm brushes his and his head nearly pops off. She takes off a piece of the meat and feeds it to him, and he happily eats it.

"Do you know his diet?" Din manages out.

"I knew some of Yoda's diet, but not everything. All I know is he was a carnivore, so it makes sense that Grogu would be one, too." That made sense, but his mind wasn't processing it. The helmet did nothing to prevent her scent, and _kriff,_ it was driving him mad. What was it about her that made him so weak? Omera made him weak, but not this weak and it made him mad that he couldn't figure out why he was so attracted to her.

They go quiet for some time while Grogu eats, before Grogu dozes back to sleep, the ball still clutched tightly in his hands. He falls asleep against Din, and Amalas actually gets up to get the blanket, handing it over to him. Din drapes it over him gently. Amalas sits back down next to him, not as close, which for some reason, he dislikes.

"Why are you so anxious?" He looks back up at her, seeing her tilted head, a concerned and curious look on her face. "Emotions can be projected into the Force, and right now, you're projecting anxiety and shame right now. What's wrong?" At first, Din is a little taken aback that she would just ask him such personal questions, especially since they had just met not even day ago, then Din realizes he'd been curling into his shell again, and suddenly, this amazing, powerful and smart woman comes into his life, and he's stricken with the need to tell her everything.

His resolve was slowly crumbling.

"I broke the Creed." Amalas looks up at him, surprised by his sudden sentence after a few minutes of silence, but she furrows her eyebrows, the marking between her eyebrows scrunching with her skin.

"What do you mean?" He struggles for the next words, swallowing his heart back down.

"I... took off my helmet in front of a bunch of Imps. In front of a former enemy. When we went to get the coordinates on Morak, I had to go in to get it, and I had to take it off. I broke the Creed." Amalas puts one leg over the other, crossing her arms, and suddenly he has a striking realization that he wishes he could sit on her lap and kiss her fiercely. But he holds back, drowning those thoughts to pay attention to her.

"The Children of the Watch were a bunch of cultists who broke away from Mandalore, believing that their way of never showing their faces was the true way to walk. But it has only caused pain and suffering, hasn't it? You've struggled with letting people in. Your stubbornness and devotion to the Creed is your strength, but it is also your weakness. Everyone believes something, one way or another, but over time or in time, those beliefs can change and morph into different beliefs, and often it leaves people feeling lost. Your devotion to Grogu is something everyone wishes they could have. You realize that, right? Your kindness and love has made you break your Creed. It is not a breaking point, but a tipping point. It is _your_ first step into realizing what is more important: the Creed, or your son."

At first, all he gives is the stare, and she stares back. _Your kindness and love has made you break your Creed._

Din swallows, his gaze at the floor.

"I don't deserve this armor." He whispers out loud, and he hopes she doesn't hear him, but she does. Damn Jedi. She stands, and comes to stand in front of him, and at first, all he stares at are their boots. Then a hand slides under his helm, and he's afraid she'll pull it off, but she simply tilts his head up so he's looking up at her. Her hand, her _touch,_ makes his heart run a mile a second and also stop completely, and he feels his own pulse within his helmet. He wonders if she could feel it if he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You deserve every bit of that armor. You have earned it, and it is yours. No one can take that away from you, except yourself." Her face softens, and Din remembers that look in the dream. That look is the exact same when she took in his face, but instead of staring at his bare face, she's staring into his visor.

Din almost cries. Almost.

Apparently, he projected that into the Force as well, because she sits next to him and slides her arm around his back while he holds Grogu, allowing his weight to sit against her. The armor and extra layers add an uncomfortable barrier between them, and Din aches to hug her properly. She lays her chin on his pauldron, which cannot be comfortable, and whispers so only he can hear:

_"You are deserving."_


	4. "You're walking into uncharted territory, Mando. Tread carefully."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The smut is finally here! But you guys have to promise you won't scroll just for it. Thanks for reading!

"So, where are you taking us?" Din asks as he gets settled in the co-pilot's seat, Grogu in his lap. The ball was keeping him occupied, and Din silently wondered how long he'd be fascinated with it. After all, he had been in love with that thing since he got him. All he has is the small satchel for the kid and a blanket, and his staff and rifle. Everything else was destroyed with the Razor Crest. So quite literally, all they have are the clothes on their backs. Amalas hits a few buttons, pulls a few levers, clicks a few switches as the ship begins to turn on. She hums as she hears the engine turn on, and punches in some coordinates quickly.

"My home. It's strong with the Force, so Grogu will do well there."

"You positive you want someone like me on your peaceful planet?"

"The immediate threat has been eliminated, Din. You guys are safe." Din stiffens at the mention of the threat, his grip tightening ever so slightly. But he did watch her kill Gideon in front of his own eyes, so there was no way he was alive after that, or the explosion.

_I am no Jedi._

He grunts in reply.

The next day, they parted from each other. Fett and Fennec were going to take Cara back to Navarro, where they would figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, Amalas was taking Din and Grogu, so the kid could begin his training, taking them to apparently her home planet. Din tries to relax, but he's still on the edge. He's still cautious about her, still on edge from the entire day yesterday. The dream that began it all, the teasing all day, the way his body reacted by just the slightest of her touches...

Last night plays out in his head again, thinking about her gentle and kind hand slipping under his chin to lift it up, telling him lovingly that he deserved the armor he wore, that he earned it, that he himself was _deserving._ He remembers the way she fought yesterday against Gideon, and his body involuntarily shivers at the memory of her low laugh, her commanding voice. Grogu obviously feels his feelings, looking up at him curiously, before going back to his ball, turning it over in his hands.

He needed to stop thinking about it, for fear she'd feel him projecting through the Force again, just like Grogu. So instead, he watches as the planet fades away from them, and they jump into hyperspace. The cockpit of the ship is spacious enough for the two adults. It's comfortable enough, and Amalas said that she didn't have enough room in the cargo hold for them either. Amalas makes sure the autopilot is on before swiveling around in her chair, letting out a relaxed sigh.

"Well, we'll be in hyperspace for some time, but not that long, so... Let's see what Grogu here can do." Din nods, looking down at him.

"Grogu." He looks up at him with those big eyes and Din feels soft when he sees that look. "Give me the ball." He lets out a small whimper at that. "Give me the ball, please. You can have it right back." Slowly, Grogu hands over the ball, and Din hands it over to Amalas in return. Grogu follows it closely, as she stands and goes to the furthest part of the cockpit, holding out the ball to him.

"Okay, Grogu." Din loves the way his ears perk up when someone says his name. "Take the ball from me."

She gets a head tilt in return from the kid.

"It's okay, you can take it from me." Grogu raises his hands, focusing, and then the ball flies out of between her fingers into his hands again, and Amalas smiles, almost proudly.

"The Force is strong with him, especially after the seeing stone." She comes over, kneeling in front of him, and taking his hands in hers.

"He's young, but he knows things from his time at the Jedi Temple. We will have to be mindful of what he can and cannot do."

"Start small, in other words."

"Correct." He dips his head low in a nod, adjusting his grip around the kid. He knows he's safe and secure with him now, but he can't help feeling on edge. Right now, they were on a different ship, with just the clothes on their backs, with a strange, attractive not-Jedi, heading to her home planet so she could train his kid.

Why did he take that bounty again?

Amalas returns to her seat as they fall into an easy silence, listening to the soft noises of Grogu, until finally, the noises quiet. Din looks down at him to see he's fallen asleep. With the events in the past few days, Din doesn't blame the kid, and feels the urge to take a nap himself. _Again,_ Amalas seems to read his mind. _Damn Jedi._ He thinks bitterly.

"Rest." Amalas says, and her voice instantly relaxes him. "I will let you know when we arrive."

Distantly, he knows he can trust her, and he supposes that will be enough.

Din falls into a good sleep for the rest of the trip.

* * *

When he wakes up again, it's because he feels the ship come out of hyperspace. Amalas presses a few buttons as a voice comes over the communication line.

 _"We await your arrival, Your Majesty."_ Amalas presses a single button down.

"I'll be landing momentarily, Yarick. Thank you."

_Your Majesty?_

Okay, he was definitely hallucinating now. Maybe he heard wrong since he just woke up.

"How was your nap?" Din startles at her voice, and he nods, even though he knows she can't see him.

"It was good." He says, the sleepiness still evident in his voice.

"Good. We will be landing in a few minutes. Take a look." Din sits up straighter to look out the glass panes. The planet, from what he can see so far, is green with vegetation, blue running through the planet like veins. He assumes those are rivers and oceans. The planet is orbited by two suns and two moons, perfectly balanced. No wonder the planet was supposedly strong with the Force. It seemed balanced enough.

They entered the atmosphere, and Din picked up Grogu so he could get a better look. The noises that come out are happy and excited, and Din softens at the noises. Maybe this place would be good for him, maybe even for the both of them...

"Preparing to land soon." Amalas says over the line, and Din strains to get a better look. The planet is covered in dark green trees, some having beautiful flowers on their branches. He can see mountains in some parts, and then as they approach the city, he's caught off guard. Din is so used to the backwater, dingy and rather scary looking towns and planets, that this planet is a breath of fresh air. There are fields and vineyards and orchards, with big and beautiful houses around to treat the plantations. The city looks so amazing, with the way the buildings glitter, and even from the sky, Din can tell it's clean. Then he turns his gaze to one of the biggest buildings he's ever seen, and from what it seems, it's a castle. He mumbles a quiet whoa in response, and from the pilot's seat, Amalas smiles.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes." He replies quietly, saying to himself that she is too. The palace is large and gold with windows every few stories with balconies and it shimmers and gleams with the rays of the suns. They go around the palace and he spots a large garden, maze and field, and a large, well sophisticated landing area.

Din furrows his eyebrows. Why would they be landing at the palace's landing platform? Was she some sort of royal or something?

"Go ahead and get your things." Amalas says, but it's more of a commandment then statement. Din unbuckles his belt, ignoring his body's warmth from that, and walks into the cargo bay to get his staff and rifle, gently setting Grogu down on one of the seats while he puts them on. Then he pulls on the bag, Grogu cooing as he picks up up and settles him in the bag. Din wished he still had the kid's levitating cradle.

Din feels the ship touch down on the ground, then Amalas emerges from the cockpit, giving him a smile as she walks past him. Din looks down at Grogu, giving a slight shrug at the questionable look on his kid's face.

The ramp lowers and Amalas walks down to be greeted by a man in what he assumes is captain armor. He wears a helmet designed similarly to a Mandalorian's, but open face with out a visor, and it also has two feathered wings on the sides. The helmet is gold, the chest plate is gold and smooth, his pauldrons smooth and gold. He wears a white undershirt that stops where his shoulders meet his arms. He has blue markings on his face, two identical lines stretching from the corners of his eyes all the way to the bridge of his nose and meeting. Two smaller and shorter lines are beneath them, also toward the corners of his eyes. Three, uneven lines that are also blue are on his chin, the middle the longest with the two smaller ones on each side parallel to each other. His eyes are bright green, his skin a light tan. He holds a gold spear like Din's, and as Amalas comes to a stop in front of the guard, he bows deeply.

"It's good to have you home, my Queen." She bows back at him. His voice is deeper, but he carries the same accent as Amalas. The words have to process in his brain before he finally can speak.

"You're a queen?" He rasps, his lungs suddenly restricting air, and he feels dizzy as she turns to him and flashes him a bright smile.

"I am Queen Amalas of Stewjon." She replies. "This is the Captain of my royal guard, Captain Yarick." The captain gives him a bow.

"It is a pleasure to have a Mandalorian on our planet again." Din is still staring at Amalas, too stunned to reply to the captain, so he just remains quiet. Yarick glances at Amalas and she shrugs.

"He's a man of few words and can't accept a compliment apparently." With that, Amalas turns and starts walking with Yarick down the platform towards the palace. "Has their room been prepared?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Thank you." Amalas pauses after a few paces, turning and noticing Din still in his spot frozen. "Din Djarin!"

He snaps to attention, his head nearly popping off at the sound of her voice, the commanding tone to it causing his head to pressurize, and at that moment his body decides that's when it wants to come to attention in the worst way possible.

_Thank the Maker for a crotch piece._

Din manages to catch up to them, walking a few spaces behind them, taking in the planet. He did like adventuring new planets when he wasn't hunting a bounty or running from people, after all. The guards that line the platform stand in form, gold spears in their hands. Their armor is like the captain's, but no one has the wings on the sides. Din supposes that's how they signified the ladder here. They enter the palace, and he's stricken with awe and wonder. Thank the gods for the helmet. He'd look like a kid taking in this place. The hallway is long with a red, gold embroidered runner rug going all the way down, chandeliers gracing the high ceiling. Natural light floods the hallway, making the gold shine. There's not many possessions throughout the castle, which he's surprised by, considering the royalty of it all. They come into a foyer with two large staircases leading up to the next floor, and he spots multiple doors leading to different parts of the building. The floor is made out of white marble, immaculately cleaned. It's shiny, meaning they must have just cleaned it for her arrival. The largest chandelier he's ever seen sits in the middle of the ceiling, the crystals glimmering different colors. The handrails on the staircases are gold, curving at the bottom elegantly.

To say the least, Din had never been in a castle before in his life, not even in castle ruins for that matter.

He finally tunes in on their conversation, just in time for Amalas to turn to him.

"Captain Yarick will lead you to your room. There will be some fresh clothes for you both, but..." She gives him a once-over, but it's enough for him to shiver. "Make yourselves comfortable. I have some things that need my attention right now." Din nods.

"Thank you." He manages. Amalas gives him a nod back, then lays her hand on Grogu's head, who is also in awe of the place. He looks up at her at her touch, cooing softly.

"We'll see you this evening, Grogu." She says softly, and Grogu giggles adorably. Then she walks down a hallway, disappearing and Din can finally breathe. Captain Yarick asks him to follow him up the stares and he does, taking in the pleasant air that the castle has. Sometimes he hears laughing or talking down a few hallways, so he assumes those are the castle's servants.

"How was your travels?" The captain asks, and Din is actually happy to speak for once in his life.

"Smooth."

"That's good. Her Majesty can tend to be... Reckless when it comes to piloting."

"How so?"

"Let's just say we do not let her take the Royal Cruiser." He can't help but smile at that, despite it being invisible.

"She is a Jedi." The captain chuckles.

"This is true. They always have been reckless." Din grunts in reply as they come to a stop at dark wooden doors, and Yarick opens the door and gestures him in. Cautiously, he walks in, taking in the large room. To his right is a small common area with a couch and table. To his left is a large bed with red and teal blankets, embroidered with gold. The floor is wood, which is a surprise. Most places have metal or carpet. A large round rug was in the middle of the room, and across the bed was a balcony and sliding doors. Near the cradle on the west wall was another door that was closed, and he wondered if it was a fresher.

"I shall leave you to get settled. Dinner will be served at sunset." Din gives a nod in response, then Yarick bows slightly and leaves, closing the door behind him. After making sure that there weren't any threats in the room, he looks down at Grogu, who looks eager to get out of the bag.

"Want to stretch your legs?" He asks as he's already taking him out of the bag, and he sets him on the ground gently. Grogu takes a few steps around the room, then looks up at him curiously.

"I guess this is where we'll be staying for awhile while she trains you." Maybe it'll be peaceful for once. He wasn't getting his hopes up, but... It would be a nice change of pace. While Grogu explores and stretches his legs, Din walks over to the bed and takes off his jetpack, staff and rifle. He lays the staff and rifle on the bed, and sets the jetpack down on the ground by the small end table next to the bed. Tentatively he pushes down on the bed and is stunned to find it soft. After sleeping on a pod's mattress, on a cargo hold's floor, in a chair...

The bed was a nice change.

On the edge of the bed are a few stacks of different clothes, some of them very small to fit Grogu. The others he assumed were for him. They're different colors, ranging from black to red to dark teal, or even tan. He spots some gray in there, too. He runs a gloved hand on the fabric, and almost takes off the glove to feel it himself. Then he spots the cradle.

It sits on the other side of the bed, right up against it. The outer is made out of silver metal, and he realizes that it's Beskar. How in the world-

Oh, right. Her mother was the duchess of Mandalore, after all.

The inside of the cradle is padded nicely with a dark gray blanket, and he softens as he realizes how much he yearned for a change.

_What's happening to me?_

* * *

They relax until the suns start to set, and a maidservant comes to fetch them to lead them to the hall. Grogu follows him happily, and Din feels a little bit better. As long as the kid was happy, he was happy. He'd taken off his cowl and cape to be at least a little more casual, and it did feel odd to not have it on, but Din felt like it'd be better when he was in the presence of Amalas anyway.

Some things he notices about all of the people here on the planet is they all have markings, but of different designs and colors. Their accents are the same as well, the prim and proper tone, but not condescending like some people he's met. They also all have the red hair like Amalas, their eyes of green or blue colors, and they have either fair or light tan skin with freckles.

Din wonders if Amalas has freckles on _her_ body.

They arrive at the dining hall, where Amalas is already there, taking a few clear screens from a couple of people near her to look over. She's talking to a woman when they arrive, the maidservant waiting patiently to announce their arrival while they talk.

"Was there a new baby boom while I was gone?" Amalas questions as she reads one screen.

Din's heart stops at the sight of her. She's changed out of her Jedi robes and into a dark crimson dress with short sleeves and gold embroidery on the collar. She still wears the gold necklace and clear crystal around her neck. Her hair is out of its braid and falls down her shoulders in rather beautiful curls, the tips of a gold wreath peeking out on the sides of her head, seeming to come from the back of her hair. He notices that there are braids on the sides of her head, and it seems the wreath is tucked behind the braids. Curls cascade down the sides of her face, gracing her features rather magnificently.

"There was. A five percent increase, making it more than last year's boom." The woman says. Amalas smiles warmly as she looks up at the woman, listening carefully.

"That's good. Is the new procedure at the hospital making it easier for arrival?"

"It is, all thanks to you, my lady." Amalas returns the screen back to her, the smile still present on her face. Then she notices them in the doorway, and the smile turns soft to compliment the warmth. The maidservant bows respectfully.

"Thank you, Rheya. Let's talk more about this tomorrow." Amalas says, and the people surrounding her nod, giving her a bow. "Enjoy your evening." They repeat it back to her, giving her respectful nods. Clearly, Amalas was a good queen, if the people liked her. She seemed to listen to her people, unlike other leaders he's seen in his years.

"I plan to." She says, an odd tone to her voice since her gaze never seems to leave Din's figure for a second.

What does _that_ mean?

"Come, have a seat. We have put aside your dinner so you can eat it in privacy." His heart warms at that.

"Thank you." Din is suddenly quite appreciative of the hospitality and thoughtfulness of this woman, and it makes her even more appealing. The table holds four people, and there's a chair with a raised seat, so Din lifts Grogu up and places him there. Then he takes the seat across from Amalas, hoping his posture isn't _too_ casual. Why did he care all of a sudden, anyway? He's been casual before in front of dozens of people, so why would he care all of a sudden now?

Two servants come in, setting a plate down in front of Grogu and Amalas, then they bow, and the three are left alone in the dining hall, save for a couple of guards by the door.

Din honestly didn't really understand the need for guards if the planet was peaceful and the fact that their queen was a Jedi who could handle herself. Maybe for appearances?

"Is the room to your liking?" Din lifts his head up to Amalas as she lifts her gold trimmed glass up to her lips. Hm. He liked how she could rough it, but she also clearly accepted the amount of high society the role of queen brought her. Two sides of every credit, he guessed.

"Yes, thank you for the accommodations." Amalas smiles, those pretty pink lips so enticing...

 _Stop,_ he tells himself before his thoughts take him somewhere else.

"So, what would you like to know about Stewjon?" A shit ton of things, he thinks. Din holds back though.

"You're royalty." He states. It's not a question, just a fact.

"Yes, I am. I was found by my grandparents here, ironically. They had no idea where I came from, but they raised me as if I was their own child. Later on, it was found that I was their grandchild." He takes a pause before asking the next question, hoping it wasn't a bad one, the hesitancy present in his voice.

"Where are they now?"

"In a house by the ocean somewhere on the other side of the planet." Well, that was unexpected. Guess people do still have parents after all and not everyone was orphans like him.

"Oh."

"Stewjons have very good genes. Our kind can live up to two-hundred years old."

"How old are you?" He asks before he can stop himself and mentally smacks himself. Amalas looks amused rather than offended.

"What a rude question to ask a royal." He almost takes out his blaster, but because of you know, the hospitality, he just lays his hand on the top, getting up and turning around in record time to see an older man in the doorway, his eyebrow raised. Amalas rolls her eyes, annoyance present in her face.

"Not as rude as intruding on a dinner with guests, Rowan." Amalas puts her right elbow on the table, to put her chin on top, her fingers lifting slightly to curl. Din feels a slight tug on his belt, like a finger hooking over the belt, and he takes a short, quiet breath, realizing it's the Force, before stepping back like she apparently wants him to, almost directly standing in line with her chair.

"He has no right to question someone of your ranking, Your Majesty." Rowan says, sniffing indigently, sliding his hands into the sleeves of his too expensive robe, upturning his nose at Din. Another thing Din hates: people who act like they are better than him just because of a position they have. Nothing more in this galaxy are uptight officials who think they're better than everyone else.

Grogu seems to sense the unease and sort of lowers in his seat, making no sound. Din wants to shoot the man just for making him uncomfortable again, especially having just been rescued from an evil imp who wanted him for his powers.

"He has every right to question anything he wants." Amalas replies coolly, her voice steady and firm. Well, at least she didn't like him either. "He is a guest in my home, so you will not speak to him that way. Or would you like to be knocked down another notch?" Her hand flexes on the table, laying out with her palm flat, and the man clearly does not like what she's insinuating. He looks uneasy at that.

"I just wanted to get a word in with you."

"Then how come you did not show earlier when I had time?"

"They were surrounding you like flies, how else was I supposed to talk to you?" Amalas rolls her eyes, sighing deeply.

"If this is about the decree-"

"It is."

"I have not made my decision about it." Rowan's nostrils flare in irritation. Din wonders what decree that is if it has this guy in a bad mood.

"I see."

"Do not rush me, Rowan. I have many things going on right now on top of being queen. We will speak during tomorrow's conferences. Now, leave us." It's a command, not a suggestion, and Rowan throws one last dirty look to Din before he turns, but Din catches his lips moving as he mutters under his breath.

_"Consort."_

Din nearly shoots him. The man leaves before he can, though.

"Make sure there are guards posted _outside_ the door, please." She tells the guards, and they nod, stepping out to instead guard the outside. Din's hand slowly lowers from his blaster, looking over at the kid, who seems to relax too, returning to look at his food curiously.

"I need to fire him." Amalas mumbles. "Or put a lightsaber through him." He agrees silently, enjoying being so close to her like this.

He freezes, however, when he feels her hand on his low back, gently urging him forward. It feels so odd yet thrilling to have someone touch him so casually, and he wants to stand there to keep her hand there for as long as possible, even if it meant hurting his feet and legs.

"Please, sit back down." He obeys, almost refusing, his legs feeling shaky all of a sudden. At least it's just two steps to his seat again. Grogu coos at him and Din gives him a nod.

"It's okay." Grogu takes it with satisfaction, taking the fork in his hand and poking his food. Amalas smiles and chuckles.

"You'll like it, just try it." To show it wasn't anything weird, Amalas cuts off a piece of what looked like cooked meat, and put it in her mouth.

Din's toes curl in his boots.

"Mmm, delicious." She says. Grogu's ears perk up in interest at that, and thankfully, the meat and what he assumed were veggies were cut up small enough for him to just stab and put in his mouth. At the taste of whatever it was, the kid seems satisfied and eats in peace.

Din confirms it: Amalas is a sadist after all. There is absolutely no way she doesn't know what she's doing, and Din is a little mad that she plays it off so coolly while he's being tortured under his armor.

"I apologize about Rowan. He has been on the court since the days of my grandparents, but I'm going to fire him tomorrow." He manages a chuckle, but the word is still fresh in his mind. _Consort._

What a horrible word, he thought. They'd known each other for two days, it was awful for the man to say that Din Djarin, the legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter and known for his reputation, was some Jedi queen's play-thing.

"It's okay." He says quietly. "I'm used to being treated like so."

"You should not be used to it. Men like him are the reason why there's strife in the world. Anyway, ask me something else to get off the subject of him. Anything."

"How do you guys survive?" Amalas laughs softly.

"We do not survive, we _live._ We grow all of our food on planet because the conditions are perfect, we have excellent harvests every year, we raise our own animals. Our people are happy, and they thrive. I'm sure you heard that there was a recent baby boom, correct?"

"Yes."

"For centuries, we lived in the shadows, letting the galaxy believe that our people and our planet was destroyed. We only revealed ourselves once during the Clone Wars, and that was when I revealed my true identity to my parents." Her fingers gingerly lay on the necklace on her neck. "When my father was protecting my mother on Mandalore years ago, he gave her this crystal as a necklace from one of the caves on Mandalore. This crystal seems to light up when near a person of a Mandalorian line. When my mother, who did not know I existed, came and met me for the first time, this crystal lit up, and it was one of the first clues to my heritage." He frowns, glancing at Grogu before back at her. 

"I met someone who said she was of Clan Kryze." Amalas smiles widely at that.

"You met my aunt?"

"I did. I was searching for more Mandalorians when they... Well, when they saved me."

"Bo-Katan has always had a knack for the dramatics, so did my father." She searches his helmet as if searching for his face. "That's where you learned that not every Mandalorian keeps their helmet on at all times, isn't it?"

"Yes. Since then I have been trying to figure out what's the true way." Amalas leans back in her chair, reaching and pushing some hair behind her ear, inhaling as she thinks.

"I think... Everyone should walk the way they feel is right."

"What do you mean?"

"You were raised, taking on a twisted version of the Creed believing that that way of life was the true way. You have your beliefs, we have our beliefs. Everyone across the universe has their own beliefs, and it all begins with their decision out of free will. No one is forcing you to walk one way or another. That's why I didn't grow up in the Jedi Order. The man who helped me harness my powers to the best of my ability believed there was something else going on in the galaxy, and did not want the life of a Jedi for me. That is why I do not walk neither the light side nor the dark side. I walk the way that I feel is right and that brings myself and my people honor." Amalas looks down at Grogu, who had finished eating everything on his plate, and seemed full for once. He settles in the chair, beginning to doze off. Amalas reaches with a cloth and dabs away some juice from his face. Din smiles beneath his helmet, listening to his soft little noises of protest at that. Then she places it back down on the table and puts her elbows on the table, overlapping one hand over the other and staring at him with an analytical expression.

"So, tell me, Din Djarin, what kind of way do you want to walk?"

They stare at each other and he flexes his hand, the sound of the leather catching neither his attention or hers. She is entirely focused on him, and the longer he stares at her, the more he notices the smaller features of her face: the small amount of gold in her irises, the way her freckles seemed to make little constellations on her nose and cheeks, those beautiful gold markings almost glowing with the setting suns. A ray occasionally catches her necklace makes it sparkle. She doesn't wear any jewelry except for the wreath on her head, but he supposes that's for her signet as queen. Din casts his eyes downward.

"I don't know."

Amalas smiles softly.

"In time, you will."

* * *

Before they parted their ways for the night, after Amalas finished her meal in quiet, they stood outside the dining hall, Grogu asleep in his arms. Din isn't quite sure what to think anymore at this point in his life after their conversation, but Amalas inhaling catches his attention. They turn to look at each other, Din sighing softly. The past few days have been so exhausting, a good night's sleep sounded extremely good. 

He freezes as she lays her hand on his arm that's holding Grogu, leaning in to purr out quietly so only he can hear:

"I'll be in the springs in about an hour and a half. Meet me there if you'd like, so we can talk more."

Amalas slowly slides her hand away from him, almost as if she was teasing him, turns and walks down the hall, two guards flanking her as they walk down the hallway.

Din's positive she wasn't wanting to just talk.

He remembers the path back to their room from earlier, so he doesn't need a maidservant or guard to help him back. His head is racing a mile a minute, it seems, because he cannot get neither the conversation or her invitation out of his head.

_What kind of way do you want to walk?_

The Creed was all he ever knew growing up. Once he swore it, he never knew anything outside of it. Taking jobs with unknown and different people, traveling all around the galaxy on weird and exhausting missions just to make it by...

And then he found the kid and everything changed. His whole viewpoint of life changed in just a few short days, and then his own life changed when he shot up the place to get Grogu back. And then he met Bo-Katan and she told him the truth about the people he was raised by; that they were nothing more than a bunch of zealots who left Mandalore, believing their ideas of never showing themselves was the best way to live.

He didn't know what to believe anymore.

Din lets out a sigh as he reaches his room, opening the door and shutting it quietly, walking over to the cradle and laying Grogu down carefully. Almost immediately after feeling the plush of the bed, the kid sighs in his sleep and relaxes happily in the cradle. Din gently puts the blanket over him then sits down on the edge of the bed by the cradle, his hand laying on the side of it as a way to keep close.

His stomach rumbled.

Oh, right. Food was a good idea. Now that Grogu was asleep, he was able to go ahead and eat without any prying eyes. The food, surprisingly, was still warm as he sat down on the couch, the plate having been set down on the table for him. He sets his helmet down, rubbing his forehead and looking down at his boots tiredly. Maybe some food and a small shower would help.

After eating, which was actually really good, he snuck over to the door by the cradle and peeked in. To his relief, it was a fresher, and thankfully, he was able to clean up and take a little shower before he made his final decision.

Din decided that he would go see her, but he'd be cautious. He wasn't going to fall for any of her tricks if she had any, and they were just going to talk, very far away from each other.

After getting dressed in some fresh clothes and his armor again, he slides the helmet on and steps out of the room, where he's startled to find a guard waiting by his door.

"Good evening, sir." The guard greets, his voice quiet, mindful of the evening hours. "Heading out?"

"Yes. Will you watch the door while I'm away?"

"It is my instruction by Queen Amalas already, sir." His heart flutters at that. She was already looking out for him after knowing him for _two_ days.

"Thank you." The guard nods and he shuts the door behind him, walking down the hall to the foyer again, before he stops at the railing at the staircase, realizing he has absolutely no idea where these springs were supposed to be. There wouldn't happen to be a map on one of these walls, would there?

"Are you looking for something or just exploring?" He lifts his head to see Captain Yarick on the right of him, coming out of one of the doors, it seemed. His spear is in his hand and Din feels like he should've brought his own.

"I'm looking for Amalas." He replies and the captain smiles knowingly, a glint in his eye.

"Ah." He replies, and doesn't elaborate.

What was with these people and their damn teasing?

"Do you know where she is?" He asks gruffly.

"In the springs under the palace."

"I know that, but _where_?" Yarick points downstairs, to the left hallway.

"Take the hallway and go all the way to the end. There will be a door at the end of the hallway, go through it and there will be a staircase. Follow the staircase and you'll find her there."

"Thank you." He heads down the staircase, his hands shaking and sweating in his gloves. Maker, why was he so nervous?

"And Mando." Din stops at the hallway entrance, looking up at him curiously. "You should know that Amalas never invites anyone into her springs." _Her springs?_

"What do you mean?"

"You're walking into uncharted territory, Mando. Tread carefully."

* * *

The staircase was beautiful polished stone, and as he walked, he made sure his armor didn't clink, but he guessed that didn't matter if she could sense him through the Force. He reached the bottom step and turned the corner, and immediately wanted to turn back around at the sigh, but his feet turned to lead and he couldn't move, taking in the beauty before him.

The spring's caves were stunning. The floor was stone, naturally uneven and unpolished, but beautiful none the less. Giant crystals protruded out of the ceiling and floor, and glimmered different colors like pink, blue and purple. There were smaller pools that were lit up with a blue light, and right there in the middle was a bigger pool, where Amalas was.

His brain short circuited.

She was on the far side of the pool, her back turned to him. Her arms were out of the water and laying on the stone, her head laying on top of her hands. The water came up just below her shoulders, and _oh my gods, she was naked._

On her back were markings too, exploding like beautiful frost all over. In the middle was a simple line, with small lines surrounding it in symmetrical order. Other lines, similar to the ones on her face and arms, curled elegantly, from the top of her shoulders and further still. Small dots and other details also detail her back. Her hair is still loose from dinner, but this time she's not wearing the wreath and her braids are gone, so just the pure curls fall down like waves. From even where he's standing, he can see the good muscles on her back and shoulders and arms, and breath leaves him _again._

"I'm glad you came." She says, her voice echoing off the walls and she turns around slowly. After all he'd been through and witnessed, this was how he died, huh? By staring at the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, with his heart betraying him. It felt like it was about to burst and kill him on the spot right then and there.

"I wanted to know what you wanted to talk about." He manages, but it's forced and it's strained. She clearly notices, because she smiles impurely. It makes him nervous. Din is literally straining his neck to keep looking at her face instead of down past her neck, but it's so hard when the water is so clear.

"Oh, yes, I wanted to talk about Grogu's training."

Oh, okay. Made sense.

"What about it?"

"I would like for you two to be settled before we start him, get him used to the new place before I begin his training."

"That makes sense." Amalas nods in agreement, and her curls fall in her face so beautifully and gently...

"But that also means making sure you also feel settled."

"I am settled." She rolls her eyes, not buying that for a second.

"Din, I can literally feel your feelings through the Force. You are uneasy, unsure. You are _scared._ Do not assume that I don't know what you are thinking." She nods towards the pool casually. "Join me."

He simply stares at her.

"I will turn around." And she does just so, but not without making it erotic. She puts her arms back in the position they were before, the water drops sliding down her body amazingly. He feels dizzy at the sight.

Din weighed his options. The humidity of the springs was already causing him to sweat and feel sticky. If he didn't undress, she'd take it as if he didn't trust her, and if he did, that meant there was a wide range of possibilities, starting with the fact he would have to take off his helmet, leading to the possibility of her seeing his face.

Not like it mattered at this point, since he already broke the Creed.

Din notices Amalas perk up at the sound of his armor start to come off.

"You have to stay turned like that." He orders and she chuckles.

"Yes, _sir._ "

_Fuck._

Why did fate hate him so much?

Din put his clothing and armor nearby on what seemed like a bench, where he noticed her clothing, too. Finally, he pulled off his helmet slowly, setting it down and swallowing thickly. His hair was still damp from his shower, and the humidity was actually making his smaller waves curl.

He was exposed. In more ways than one.

Din slowly gets in the pool, and is really happy that it's warm, not hot like he figured it would be. The light, he realizes, is bioluminescence, and causes the pool to glow. It makes Amalas glow, too. Now that he's within six feet of her, he notices that even from where he's at, he can see all the scars on her body. They've faded with time, but the silvery outlines will always remain. Then again, she had fought in the Clone Wars, and who knows what happened while the Empire was in power. He realizes then, what a wonderful mistake he's made.

Then, before he can stop it, it falls out of his mouth easily:

"Turn around."

_It wasn't supposed to be like this._

That thought vanished the moment he told her to turn around, however. Her eyes were bright, seeming to glow with the hot spring pool's bioluminescence light, the gold markings on her fair and freckled skin standing out with the glow. She immediately started taking in his appearance, her eyes raking from his hair, to his eyes, his facial features, down to his body that was a bit muddled by the water. His hands that sat in his lap covered his most private area, but right now, he felt more exposed than he ever did. But she didn't make a noise, she didn't make him feel cornered as she approached him, wading through the water carefully. Omera and Cara had their beauty, but this woman was off-worldly, with that refined, older, wiser look in her eye. Her beauty was different than any other person he'd met in the galaxy, but she was so breathtaking. Maybe that's why he had let his resolve down over the past couple of days.

She comes to a stop in front of him, facing him straight forward, despite him sitting on the natural bench inside the pool, and the moment that she's in front of him, it feels like all wind is knocked out of his lungs. She's beautiful, the spring making her skin glow, and she smells so good. Why does she smell good?

"Can I touch you?" She whispers, and he almost doesn't hear her because of the blood roaring in his ears, but he manages a weak nod. Slowly and gently, she lifts one of her hands out of the water, cupping his face softly.

_Oh._

He melts against her hand with a soft noise from his throat, and she smiles softly, biting her lower lip at his noise. He hadn't been touched like that in... In... Oh, _kriff,_ who knows how long.

Her thin and lanky fingers gently trail down his jawline, to his throat, then to the side of his neck, his ear, then back to his cheek. Then she lifts her other hand up, copying the action. She trails her thumb along his cheekbone and his eyes flutter at the gentleness of it all, almost too sensitive to the touch. Noises try to escape his throat but he pushes them down. He cannot let her know how sensitive he is. He already put down his guard enough, but he foregoes thinking at her next action. She slides her hand through his hair, through his messy, helmet hair curls, and he lets out a breathy moan at the feeling, then shudders when her nails gently scrape along his scalp. He resists jutting his hips forward, his fists clenched tightly in his lap. He can't resist the heat pooling in his crotch though, and he feels ashamed that just simple touches has already got him like this. Din hopes she doesn't notice. She slides her hand back down, her thumb outlining his ear, sliding alongside his jaw, before her hands settled on cupping the sides of his face. His gaze is hooded, and he's staring at her with an almost hungry and vulnerable look, and clearly, she sees his eyes glancing back and forth between her facial features and her lips. He doesn't seem to know how to breathe all of a sudden.

"Can I kiss you?" Oh, Kriff yes! He almost shouts it, but words suddenly seem lost to him, so he nods, but apparently that's not good enough for her. " _Cyare,_ I want verbal confirmation." Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. Did she just say a phrase in Mando'a? He melts against her, staring up at her with want and need, and manages a shaky, hungry, and weak:

"Yes, please." He didn't mean for the please to sound like begging, but oh gods, he'd beg for anything right now if it meant being closer to her. With a knowing smile, she leaned in and met his lips with her own. Din's body stiffens, kissing back eagerly and hungrily, and she makes a soft laugh against his mouth, but kisses back with just as much intensity. He remembers that he has hands, and he shakily reaches out to grab onto her hips. Just as he thought, her skin was silky soft, and he tugged her a bit closer. There was too much space between them.

Amalas obeys, lifting up, their lips breaking for a brief second while she gets on his lap, her legs on the sides of his hips. Din chases her lips again, and she lets him win, threading her hands through his hair and giving his curls a slight tug. A moan dribbles out of his mouth, and she captures it greedily. They part enough to let air in, but then her pelvis nudges his hard-on, and he breaks away to let out a gasp. Amalas cups his face lovingly, stroking his cheeks as he pants for air.

"How long has it been?" She whispers throatily. He struggles to make a word.

"I... Uh..." Then he shakes his head slightly.

"Really? Never?"

"N-Never... A few times orally, but..." Amalas licks her lips hungrily, like she's staring at her new prey. It makes him grip her hips tighter, and she sighs in pleasure.

"You trust me then?"

"Yes." He rasps out. And that's enough for her. She slides her hands down to his neck, following his shoulders down to his chest, admiring the scars on the light tanned skin. He has his muscles, but he's still soft. He hopes she's not disappointed it's not all abs and muscle. Then she whispers:

"So handsome..."

And he melts against her. She lowers her head and kisses him again, but it's brief and instead she starts kissing down his jaw and then down his neck, his stubble rubbing on her soft skin. Her hands slide down his chest and settle on his ribcage as she kisses down his neck, then settles on his pulse point, and begins to softly suck. His right hand bursts out of the water, sliding into her hair and gripping it tightly as a burst of pleasure runs down his body. She sucks and nibbles, then starts biting harder, sliding her teeth against his skin. The sounds that pour out of him are lewd and loud and so uncharacteristically unusual of him, the sensitivity of his body proving almost too much for one love bite.

"Ah! Ama-las! Oh!" She groans against him, enjoying all the sounds he makes, then pulls away, allowing him to slump back against the pool's wall, his hand slipping away from her hair, surprisingly not tangled with her curls. He lets his hand fall back in the water, laying it on her smooth muscular thigh. Amalas giggles, biting her lower lip as she slides the tips of her fingers over the pretty bruise.

"Perfect..." She praises and he lets out a startled moan at that. Never had he been called that. For his fighting technique, sure, but for something like this? Never.

"Amalas..." Din moans softly.

"Yes, _cyare_?" He tries to remember how to breathe, and when he does, he looks up at her, the pleading look having completely taken over his face.

"More." Amalas licks her lips, sliding her fingers down his neck, searching for the perfect spots. She decides to surprise him, leaning down again and repeating the action, but when she settles on the spot she wants, she kisses it twice to let him know, making him move his hands and holds onto her thighs as she starts it up again. Again, Din can't stop the noises, letting them just pour out with the occasional biting of his lips. His body stiffens and relaxes repeatedly in the most amazing way possible underneath her.

Amalas can't get enough.

She leaves about five love bites in total, admiring the new bruises on his skin. They're not from war, they're not from his battles for his life. They're for pleasure, and just like how feels with Grogu, he feels _needed._

"Amalas..."

"Yes?" He manages to lift his head to look at her fully, and just shakes with need when he meets her eyes.

"I need you." Amalas cups his face again, kissing his forehead, the bridge and tip of his nose, before hovering over his lips.

"You have me." She whispers, love and adoration pouring out from her words. She kisses him softly and lovingly, and he manages to hold back his greed. Her lips are as soft as he thought they'd be, and _kriff,_ it feels so good.

Then she adjusts, putting her hands on his shoulders, and he feels her thighs flex as she adjusts to sit on her knees, and he breaks away to let out a strangled moan as he feels her against him.

"Ready?" She whispers and he nods.

The pleasure is almost too much as she sinks down and he almost lets go too soon. His eyes roll back in his head, and he digs his fingers into her thighs, blunt nails making indents in her skin. She'll probably have bruises in the morning. The thought of that makes him moan loudly, and then he jerks as she fully sits against him. She's almost too hot, pulsing around him and he feels ready to burst on the spot.

"Hold out a little longer, _cyare._ " He lets out a mangled moan. The thought of it makes him _whimper_ and he looks up at her pleadingly.

"Are you... Okay?" He manages out between pants. Amalas cups his face again, kissing his forehead reassuringly, then she presses their foreheads together, their noses bumping together.

"I am perfect." She purrs out and he moans softly. "You are perfect."

"I-I am not..." Amalas cups his face again, smiling down at him so lovingly his heart feels ready to explode.

"But you are, _cyar'ika._ " She kisses him softly, then whispers: "Perfect for me and _only_ me." He swallows thickly, looking up at her, then realizes that he's crying. _Shit._ But she doesn't make fun of him, she doesn't laugh. Instead, she swipes away his tears, kisses him tenderly and lovingly, and then slowly, she begins to move. There's an ache in his lower belly at the feeling as she pulls up slowly, then drops back down. He moves his hands to her waist, finally regaining the strength in his body to move along with her. She wraps her arms around him, letting his face bury between her breasts, their moans filling the caves, and the caves send them right back to them.

"Din!" He lets out a loud cry as she pulls him as close as possible, pushing her hips down to take all of him in, and he sees stars. Amalas lets out a cry following him, her hands gripping his hair tightly as she clenches around him, and they reach that high together. He slumps backward, her body pressing against him as they let themselves come down from that kind of high. Amalas nestles her face in the left side of the crook of his neck, her right hand pinned between their bodies. Din's hands just lay on her waist as his body manages to get some kind of bearing back. He feels her hand gently come up and he can feel it shaking as she cups his face again, her thumb stroking his stubble.

"You okay?" She whispers. Din swallows, letting his eyes drift shut at the feeling of her body warmth against him.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Never been better." She lifts her head up and kisses his cheek softly, and he turns his head to capture her lips before she can pull away. Amalas responds, holding his face as they kiss gently, the high now settled. They pull away and she settles her head on his shoulder once again, but he feels her staring at him. He manages to open his eyes again, looking down at her with a hooded gaze.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He resists asking her if she regrets it. She just chuckles at him.

"I am perfectly fine, my dear." Amalas slowly sits up, gently pulling off and he lets out a strangled gasp at the loss. Before he can protest, she takes his face and kisses him, slow, loving, and tender, drawing it out before she pulls away. He follows her, furrowing his eyebrows with a pout. She smirks at his face, irritation spiking at that.

"Are you ready for another round?" She teases.

"What do you think?" He says gruffly. She slides the tip of her index down his jawline, then under his chin, grinning as she leans in close.

"Meet me in my room in thirty minutes." Amalas purrs out. "Top floor. Can't miss it."

Din swallows as she brushes her lips against his.

_"I'll be waiting."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we can all agree that Din would probably be hella sensitive if he was never allowed to take off the helmet or armor unless he was alone.


	5. "Gold."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May I offer you guys some smut in these trying times?

Amalas leaves him with a temporary goodbye kiss, leaving him aching and wanting more. Din sits in the pool for a few minutes before he finally remembers that he has cognitive motions again, and slowly gets out of the pool, his legs shaking. He walks over to his clothing, wiping off the excess water, wishing there was a towel nearby, but he dresses sloppily, leaving some clasps loose if he were to meet her again.

_I'll be waiting._

Din swallows. He seems to tingle down there, and well, it _was_ his first time. The few times he's only come close was just moments of raging passion. Din had never experienced something like _this_ before. Slowly, he makes his way up the stairs, taking his time to get his bearings back. Grogu was surely going to be asleep for the whole night, and he was curious of what she had in mind.

 _Perfect for me, and_ only _me._

It seemed unreal to him that anybody would find him so attractive and appealing. Of course, people have been in awe of his fighting skills and just because he wore Mandalorian armor, but Amalas seemed to see right through him. Yet, she didn't care about the armor, his years in the Creed that he devoted to, his guarded personality...

Amalas saw through all of that, making sure she knew that _Din Djarin,_ not Mando, not the reputable bounty hunter he was, felt loved. All he wanted to know was: why him? Of all the people and species and everything else in the galaxy, why him specifically? Why did she like him to the point of managing to bed him, and even inviting him to her personal chambers? To him, he figured that she would be married with a bunch of kids, but he supposed a Jedi life wasn't exactly the greatest for a family.

The castle was rather empty, and he wondered if Amalas had ordered everyone to clear the palace for the evening. The thought made him shiver, and he hoped the guard was still by his door. But he was glad that no one was around as he made his way to what he hopefully assumed was the way to her room. She said the top floor, so Din just followed all the stairs leading up, and just as he thought, he arrived at the top. His legs felt tired, but his mind and body were alert. A long hallway stretched to large double dark wood doors with expert workmanship on the wood. A large teal rug ran down the hall with gold swirling embroidery on the edges. Large glass windows lined the hallway, the moons shining their light into the hallway, making the walkway more appealing than ever. There were no guards posted in the hallway or outside her doors.

Din feels the lump in his throat form.

What was this woman thinking?

His legs move on their own.

Before Din knows it, he's standing in front of her door, his fist raised to knock. Well, there was no going back now.

He knocks, once, twice, thrice.

"Come in." He feels his body warm at her voice and gently pushes down the handle of the door and enters, shutting it behind him. He hears a faint click as the door locks. Not from him, though. He swallows.

The Force is strange, he concludes.

The room is filled with lit candles all over. Her room is huge, just like he figured the royal chambers would be, with a huge bed in the middle of the room, some chests for clothing and the like. He can't really take it all in because the smell hit him before he could get a full visual of everything. The room smelled really sweet, and for some reason, his head felt foggy, and he felt dizzy. Was that an aphrodisiac? His helmet was doing nothing to protect against it. Din blinked away the fog as Amalas emerged from her fresher, and his brain, once again, short circuited.

Despite having just seen her and held her in his arms, she still took his breath away. She'd cleaned up from the springs, and now that she was fully standing, he could see everything that made her Amalas. From the top of her hip bone, swirls wrapped around her leg like a vine. They were simple lines that wrapped around her legs, with swirls breaking off in some spots, and Din felt ready to fall on his knees and worship her right then and there.

"Hello there." She says smoothly, and he blushes underneath his helmet. Amalas approaches him, coming to stand in front of him, her hands laying on the sides of his helmet. Her eyes are soft and understanding as she looks through the visor at him.

"May I?" He gives a small nod, and she slowly pulls it off his head, setting it by the shelf by the door carefully, then presses a welcoming kiss on his lips. He returns it happily as she lays her hand on his face, pulling him closer.

His armor gets in the way.

"Take it off." She whispers against his mouth as she pulls away briefly. He chases after her lips as she pulls away and steps back so he can start getting the armor off, and he internally pouts, then she throws him a look and he immediately starts to strip down.

"Sit on the bed and get comfortable." Amalas says once he's bare before her. Din obeys, sitting on the right side of the bed while she moves around the room, seeming to look for something. He clasps his hands together in his lap, nervously watching her. She just glides around the room, and he admires how light she looks. She seems to be looking for something, but that doesn't matter as he watches her, captivated.

_Gorgeous._

"Can I ask you something?" Amalas looks over at him from looking in her chest, raising her eyebrow in question.

"Of course."

"Why me?" She stares at him over her shoulder for a few seconds before turning her back to him silently and he slumps, regretting the question already. She took offense, he could tell. He gulped. Oh boy, here comes the lightsaber stab.

"Why you indeed..." She muses out loud, holding up a small blue container in her hand. "Found it."

Din tilted his head curiously, wondering what the container was for, then softened with the thought vanishing as she walked over to him, setting the container down on the side table. The smell was becoming more and more intoxicating, making his head swim. What in the galaxy was that? Amalas stops in front of him, his legs parting so she can stand in between them so she can cup his face, the front of her thighs pressing against the bed. Her legs are soft when they brush against his.

"Din Djarin..." She purrs quietly, and _gods,_ when she says his voice his body just activates. It seems to just roll off her tongue. "I suppose it's because of the Force."

"What do you mean?" He struggles out.

"The Force is strange, being able to bring people together with some events..." She slides her finger over the bridge of his nose. "You remember the dream?"

"You... You got it, too?"

"I received it the night before I met you. I heard Grogu's call out to the Force and I responded, but then the Force decided to send me that lovely premonition. Looks like it played out in our favor, no?" Din leans against her hand, a small smile on his lips. "Now... I want to ask your permission for something."

"What's that?"

"Have you ever heard of subspace?" He furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head. "Subspace is a form of play between two people when they are having sex... Usually the submissive one gives total control to the dominant one, and manages to experience a high so great that they are in that mode for quite some time. It gives their mind a chance to go blank and not think of anything for a bit."

Din gulps as she trails her fingers down the love bites in admiration, the words she just spoke trying to process through his brain.

"I'd like to try that on you."

"W-Why?"

"You've been through quite a bit, have you not? It's a chance for you to settle and just _relax._ " The thought of just giving over control to someone he just met was terrifying. But in the same aspect, she'd been so loving and caring with him so far... And the thought of just not thinking for a bit was appealing...

Her hand slides under his chin, her fingers gently pushing his face up to look at her. "If it's any consolation, my people have participated in using subspace for many decades. I know the warning signs, and we will make a safe word if it's getting to be too much."

Din furrows his eyebrows again. "Your people...?"

"There is something you should know about my kind. Do you know why my people were enslaved?" He shakes his head. "My people were enslaved because of our biology. See, we have the two genders: male and female. When someone is born, they are presented as a male or female, but everyone each has a fully functioning womb, and penis."

Din just stares as the gears try to form a coherent thought. Did she just say that her kind was _intersex_? No wonder they had a baby boom recently. He knew that _some_ species were intersex, but he never really wanted to know or try it out. And he never knew anyone who was intersex for that matter, so the opportunity never came.

Until now, that is.

Din pretty much just drops his head down to look as if he was still wearing his helmet, because it was a habit after all, and Amalas laughs, covering her mouth in amusement. He looks back up at her, concern on his face.

"Well, not right now." She purrs, and rolls a curl around her finger. He shivers at the feeling. "But I think I might use that tonight... If it's okay with you."

The thought sends a thrall up his back.

It also scares him.

"We do not have to if you're not comfortable. I promise I will not pressure you into doing anything you do not want-"

"I want to."

Amalas stared at him at that, a little surprised by that. Din reaches up, laying his hands on her curves, admiring the way her body was built, looking at her straight in the eye.

"I want to try that." Amalas stares at him for a few seconds, despite having proposed that to him, as if she was trying to wrap her mind around his words. Then she chuckles lowly, and his body comes to attention.

"Very well. Think of an easy safe word to use, just in case I am going too far, moving too fast, or you simply do not like what I am doing." He nods. "And a movement or gesture also, just in case you can't speak properly." He nods, trying to think of something before he tightens his grip on her hips slightly.

"Gold." Then he taps his fingers twice on her hips. "And I can do that anywhere, right?" Amalas nods.

"Gold and two taps. Good. Now, tonight is all about you, _cyare,_ what would you like to do first?" He's a little stunned by that, considering he figured she had a plan for him, and he's sure she does, but being asked what he'd like to do is actually quite thoughtful of her.

Din swallows.

"I want to... I'd like to try oral, if that's okay."

"You mean on me?"

"Yes." His eyes dart around in panic, but she brings his attention back to her by running her fingers through his hair with a _heavenly_ feeling, and she smiles. "I-I've just never tried it before, you know, with... With the helmet, and all..." She smiles, kissing his forehead softly in reassurance.

"Okay. That is perfect with me. Now, would you like me to sit on your face or have me lay back?"

Din trembles at the thought. He can't quite wrap his head around the question, imagining both to be rather spectacular. He feels slightly dizzy at that.

"O-Oh... I... Didn't think about that." She giggles sweetly, sliding her hand down his face gently, his stubble making soft scratching noises at the touch, waiting . Din's eyes flutter at that, making his decision.

"S-Sit on my face." The words were enough to leave him breathless, seeming to leave her breathless too because she inhaled a sharp breath at that. Amalas backs away a little bit, giving a nod.

"Lay down." Din obeys, quickly scooting to the middle of the bed so she has room for her legs, and she takes a soft silky pillow and puts it under him quickly before he lays down on nothing, and he gets settled. Din notices his body shaking and he's not sure if it's because of nerves, excitement or both.

Amalas crawls onto the bed, settling by him and giving him a preparation kiss. Din lets out a moan at that, greedily taking it and never wanting to let it go. Amalas pulls back, her hand laying on his chest, tracing a large scar across his pec mindlessly.

"Are you ready, _cyare_?" Din nods, his breathing shaky. Amalas stands on the bed then, and he adjusts so he's ready, his gulp audible. Amalas gives him one last reassuring look before she's settled on his face and he lets out a breathy moan, swallowing as she's presented right before him.

She's completely smooth, and he distantly wonders if it's natural or a beauty thing for her kind. It doesn't matter, because the moment she was over him, Din wrapped his arms around the quads of her thighs to pull her down and begin.

The lack of finesse and technique is certainly made up for his enthusiasm and concentration. He sets to tasting her, trying to figure out where to start, so he starts from below, drags his tongue along, then laps at her clit. Amalas moans loudly, and Din shudders as he hears the noise. She reaches down to his hair as her head tilts back, resisting the urge to push against his mouth and ride his face. She decided to let him learn instead of rushing it, and oh boy, was that a good decision...

"Oh, my... _Kriff,_ _cyare,_ you were _made_ for this..." A low groan that sounds like it comes from his chest emits, and she grins, biting her lip at the noise. Amalas slides her fingers through his hair, clenching tightly as he pushes his tongue in, letting out a strangled gasp. One thing she appreciated was how quickly he learned and took notice what made her grind her hips down against his mouth or what drew sounds out of her.

"Good boy..." She pants out, letting the words slide out like honey. "Such a good boy..." Din shakes beneath her at the praise, and she mentally notes it. His body occasionally stiffens, and once in a while, when she would make a moan and push against him, he would moan as well. Amalas noticed, as the little bubble started forming, that he was just shaking restlessly underneath her as if he was close again without even being touched, and the thought made her grip his curls and pull him even closer. Amalas knew she was going to have friction burns because of his stubble from clenching her thighs around his face, but _kriff,_ it felt so good!

"So good...! Oh, right there..." She moans as he sucks gently on her clit, but it still sends shocks of pleasure all over her body even with the gentleness. Her noises spur him on, and she notices how his body just continues to tremble under her, and she wants nothing more than to break him down and then piece him back together in the cover of the night.

Her other hand braces on his pec behind her, and her fingers brush his nipple just ever so briefly.

His reaction is almost enough to send her over the edge. Din jerks, a strangled gasp breaking from him, his blunt nails digging into her quads. Amalas groans, and resists touching him again even though she wants to get that reaction once more. Her thoughts are cut off as he plunges his tongue into her and she lets out a cry, her muscles tightening as he works his mouth. She nearly falls forward, catching herself on the bed frame's headboard with her left hand, her right head still in his curls. Din presses his mouth against her with his tongue still inside and starts to _suck._

Amalas tightens at that, letting out a loud moan and throwing her head back. A part of her wants to drag it out as long as possible, but the bubble growing in her stomach was not going to allow her to do that. So, as she started to reach that point, she decided to test something. She tightened her thighs around his face, getting a startled groan out of him, savoring that noise purely for her own benefit.

"You are perfect..." She purrs out. " _My_ good boy..."

At that, he releases a cry that's muffled against her, and she feels him trembling like he did earlier, his grip extremely tight around her legs as she realizes that she succeeded.

Amalas had just made Din come without being touched.

It sends her over the edge immediately.

She moans and rocks against him as she rides out her high. Then she slowly gets off him, her legs trembling, and she lays next to him for a minute to catch her breath.

Din feels weightless, almost dizzy after coming untouched. But it was so extremely sexy when she just tightened against his face, her hand's grip tightening amazingly in his hair... The fact that she simply called him her good boy and sent him over was startling, yet so thrilling.

He feels the bed dip before it lifts up and he manages to turn his head and open his eyes to see her walking to the fresher, and feels a surge of pride that she has to lean against the doorframe before she walks any further. _He_ caused her to be that shaky, and he can't help but feel prideful about it.

Amalas comes back out, holding a damp cloth in her hand, walking back over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. She admires the sheen on his face before wiping his lips and around his mouth gently, then turns it over and folds it and cleans his stomach and chest. Din shivers at the contact, yet he feels comforted by the touches and care.

Din remembers how to speak finally. "Did... Was I good?" He slurs, and she smiles lovingly.

"You were absolutely perfect, _cyar'ika._ " Din smiles at her and she cups his cheek, stroking the area under his eye with her thumb gently. He relaxes under her touch, smiling at her with a sleepy gaze.

"Tell me you are not tired after just that, my dear." He blushes, pink bursting onto his cheeks. "Because I do have a larger plan for you tonight."

Din breathes out shakily, closing his eyes as he tries to comprehend that.

"I just need a minute." He replies. Amalas smiles, reaching and kissing his nose tenderly. He lets out a soft sigh at that. Her hand trails down from his face to his jaw, then to slide over the love bites in admiration.

"You look quite handsome with my marks... I bet you would look delectable with the first letter of my name tattooed somewhere here... Away from prying eyes, but I would know."

Din shudders at that, letting out a quiet gasp at the thought. He feels her fingers slide from his neck to his right pec.

Amalas continues, almost talking to herself. "Hmm, maybe in my language... Oh, you know what? I think it would look very appealing in Mando'a..."

"Amalas..." He groans softly. She smirks at him, tapping her finger in the middle of his pec.

"Maybe here?" She muses, then slides it over to the other pec. "Or here?" All he can manage is a small strangled moan. She grins.

"Or maybe..." He watches as she slides her index down the middle of his chest, down to his pelvis above his happy line. He notices that he's hard again, and mentally curses at himself for being so sensitive.

"Here?" She purrs, pressing down softly on the spot with her finger. He lets out a strangled moan, his body tightening at the pressure. Din lifts his head to look at the spot, swallowing thickly. Amalas smiles knowingly, leaning in and pressing her lips to his, taking his mind off the idea of getting the letter of her name on his body somewhere, yet it still heats his body up at the thought.

Then she grasps him in her hand and he jerks against her, his hand flying down to put on her wrist, breaking the kiss to look down at it. The feeling is a bit too much after the last orgasm, making it feel almost painful.

"T-Too much!" He pants, and she lets go quickly, letting him slump back. "S-Sorry... It's just... Too much that fast..." Amalas smiles reassuringly.

"It's okay." She replies, instead moving her hand to his hip. "Will you turn over?" He gulps before obeying, managing to slowly turn around onto his hands and knees, letting his elbows prop himself up on the pillow. He tracks her with his head as she gets up to get the container from earlier.

"Remember, say the word if I am going too far, okay?" Amalas says and he nods. "Put down your head." Din obeys, lowering his head and trying to comprehend the situation. Here he was, on his hands and knees, giving himself up to a woman he barely met two days ago, who was supposed to train his kid, who was a freaking Jedi and queen of a planet he thought had been destroyed, and was about to do who knows what to him.

_Consort._

" _Cyare._ " Din inhales sharply. "Stop thinking."

"S-Sorry. I just..." He swallows as he feels the bed dip behind him, his back tightening at the feeling. "I'm just... Not really used to all this."

"I know. We can stop if you want."

"No!" He startles at his quick answer, pushing his face into the pillow in embarrassment. Din can literally feel the amusement in the air at that. "I'm just... I can't get what he said out of my mind..."

Amalas scoffs behind him. "Do not think about him, only think about me." He feels her hands come and grip his waist, her breath against his neck. Din curls his toes.

"You are not some play-thing, Din." She growls and he can't breathe. "Now, pay no more attention to that man, and pay attention to me, understand?" Din nods in reply, words lost once more. She whispers something in a different language as she pulls back, sitting back on her feet. He hears the lid of the container opening, and the smell seems to increase as he's waiting for whatever it is that she's about to do.

Then he realizes that it smells like Amalas, with the flower and ocean-like scent, and makes a startling realization that it must be coming from her. Was that another feature of her kind?

"Do you trust me, Din?" He nods, before realizing she can't see him, and lets out a raspy:

"Yes."

Amalas shifts behind him, and he braces himself for whatever is about to happen. Din feels a slicked up finger on his hole, making him shudder. Her left hand lays on his ass cheek, gently massaging it as she rubs the finger on his hole.

"So beautiful..." She purrs, drawing a moan. "So perfect... You have an amazing body, _cyare_." Din lets out a soft laugh, not really believing that for a second.

Amalas disagrees.

A sharp smack hits his ass cheek, making him jerk and gasp. Din is surprised and honestly shocked that she would hit him. His dick, however, seemed to enjoy that, because it dribbles out enough pre to make a good sized puddle on the bed.

"You are perfect." She states, _commands_ even. He's about to again disagree with her, then he inhales and the scent overwhelms him, and then his mind goes completely blank as the finger begins to push in. The mixture makes his front shake, and he resists face-planting into the pillow, and he lets out a throaty moan as the first knuckle makes it past the tight ring of muscle. It burns painfully at first, but then there's a numbing to it, and he wonders what the hell is in that lube, because whatever it is, he may just have to snag a container for himself.

"It feels nice, doesn't it? It has an natural aphrodisiac in it. Helps with this kind of thing." Din wants to say something yet all he can manage is a slight wiggle of his hips, and behind him, she groans.

"Oh, Din, you have no idea what you do to me."

"I can say the same thing for you." He shoots back, his voice coming back to him. Amalas chuckles lowly.

"True." With that, she pushes her finger all the way in. Din sees stars, and he almost collapses forward. It's definitely on odd intrusion, a slightly uncomfortable one, then slowly the lube numbs the pain, and pleasure overtakes its place. Din's toes curl and he grips the pillow tightly, letting out a loud moan.

"That's it..." Amalas soothes. "Let your body do its work, relax..." He takes her words, forcing his body to relax, and as it does, thankfully, he feels the finger, her hand on his hip to hold him steady, her rough breathing from arousal, the smell offering its help to relax him. He lets the scent cloud his mind so all he thinks about is Amalas.

After he feels relaxed enough, Din pushes back against her finger to basically tell her to continue. Amalas reads the signal, gently pulling the finger out and then pushing it back in, beginning a soft, gentle speed to loosen him up. Every time she pulls her finger out, it brushes over a little bundle nerves that light his body on fire, but it's too brief to actually do anything. She pulls her finger back, then he feels a second gently poking, before it joins the first. Din squeezes his eyes shut, his toes curling and uncurling repeatedly, and he can't help the noises that pour out at the feelings.

"Good boy..." She praises and she feels him tighten at that, making her grin. "You take my fingers so good, _cyar'ika,_ I can't wait to see how you take me."

Din moans loudly at the thought, and he shakes his hips like some kind of whore, but at the moment, he doesn't care what he looks like. Only Amalas knows what he looks like, and that's all he cares about.

Din is fighting against the building tension when she stops suddenly, and he lets out a half-sob, half-groan at the loss of feeling, then he feels a third enter, and _oh, kriff._ Din moans at the feeling, and he scrambles to find some sort of hold other than the pillow, so he reaches out to the headboard and grips that instead, his knuckles whiting with his grip. He holds the pillow tightly with his arm tightly, and bites down on it to try to hide some of his sounds.

It doesn't work.

Amalas curls her fingers gently, and presses on that bundle of nerves, and his vision whites out. Din throws his head back and lets out a cry, and he hears Amalas suck in a breath at that.

"Ama-las...!" His voice breaks, and he just feels himself unravel by her hands, literally and figuratively. 

Amalas decides that's enough, and gently retracts her fingers, leaving him empty. He's about to turn his head to whine at her, until he feels something a lot bigger than her fingers press against his hole. He sucks in a breath, forcing himself to stay calm and relaxed, his grips on the headboard and around the pillow tightening. Din bows his head, then lifts his hips to push against it.

"I'm ready."

Amalas takes her time to push in, so she doesn't hurt him, which he's both grateful for and irritated about because at the moment, there is nothing more he wants than having her-

_Oh._

Din's eyes shine with tears of pleasure as she brushes against that bundle, and he doubts she's not even halfway in yet.

Then finally, she sheaths herself all the way in, and he jerks as her hips press flush against his, her hands gripping where his hips meet his waist, holding his lower half up, and with a loud cry, Din paints the bed white once again.

Din's front collapses tiredly. His body shudders when her hand is put on the back of his neck, and she runs the tips of her fingers down his back, humming softly to herself while he gets some sort of bearing back to the world.

"I-I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-"

"Shh, _cyar'ika,_ you're fine..." She soothes. "Just relax and breathe." Din obeys, trembling through the aftershocks of his orgasm, and as the high calms down, he realizes with a start that he's still hard. Was it because of the smell? It was an aphrodisiac so it made sense that he was still hard even after his third orgasm for the day.

"The smell- What is it?" He rasps out. Amalas hums.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask that. Another feature my kind has." Of course it was, why did he expect something else? "We have pheromones to help our partners relax."

"So, in other words, your species are just... Sexually active all the time?"

"Pretty much, yes."

No wonder she started fucking courting him the moment she laid eyes on him.

He feels her nails slightly dig into his skin as she pulls out slowly, leaving just the tip of the head in, and Amalas purrs.

"When someone like me sees something I want, _I take it._ " Din lets out a strangled cry as she thrusts back in, thoughts vanishing from his brain. Amalas fucks him hard and fast, leaving no room for him to speak. His grip loosens from the headboard, falling back down to grip the pillow again, and his noises come out short and fast to match her thrusts. Her hands grip his hips in a bruising fashion, which distantly he's surprised about since her hands are smaller than his, but at the moment, all thoughts are fading away. Din moves his hand down to touch himself and Amalas bats it away, instead reaching around and gripping it at the base, making him let out a strangled gasp, his eyes rolling back. But she grips it in a way that doesn't bring him any relief and he nearly sobs at the denial.

"You will come for me when I say so." Amalas _growls,_ her thrusts not letting up. "Put your hands back up on the pillow." Din manages to obey, gripping the pillow in front of him with his arms stretched above him, and he feels a light grip around his wrists, but no skin contact.

_She's using the fucking Force on me?!_

The thought immediately leaves as he feels another invisible hand around his throat and he lets out a strangled gasp on top of smaller moans. Din gulps as it slightly tightens, not to the point of choking him, but enough that he feels the pressure. The combination of her thrusting, her hand on the base of his dick, the invisible hands around his neck and throat is enough to try to send him over the edge, but she denies him any relief.

"A-Ama...las!" He cries out brokenly.

"That's it. Say my name, _cyar'ika._ " She purrs in his ear as her thrusts start to fasten into a brutal speed, that bubble and ache building more and more, and she starts to pant and groan as she starts to reach her climax, too.

_"Amalas!"_

At once, the invisible hand tightens, her hand around his dick lets go, and she sheaths herself all the way in him as she spills inside him, and his orgasm crashes into him like a giant tsunami.

Din blacks out for a few minutes.

* * *

When he comes to, Amalas is patting his cheek, and he opens his eyes to see her extremely worried face. She sighs in relief as he wakes, laying her hand on his cheek.

"You had me worried. Did I go too far?" Concern is laced in her voice and he shakes his head lightly.

"N-No... You're fine..." He rasps out, his voice hoarse and tired. "Felt fucking amazing..."

"Were you able to...?"

"Yes... Was amazing." He replies, reaching with a shaky hand and cupping her cheek in return, smiling at her tiredly. Amalas smiles and leans down, gently kissing him, and he responds back happily, but his body twitches weakly with the overstimulation. She pulls away and Din, as much as it hurts right now, aches for her touch.

"I am going to get you cleaned up." Din manages a weak nod, turning his head back to the ceiling to stare at the canopy of the bed. Huh. He hadn't noticed that before. He hears the fresher's shower turn on, before she emerges again in a thin light blue robe, and he's honestly disappointed at that. Amalas smiles when she sees the look, folding a cloth in her hand. She sits on the edge of the bed, making it dip and reaches and gently pats away the sweat from his face and neck. Then she carefully wipes down the rest of him, and thankfully, it's not as sensitive as before.

"I'm not going to be able to walk." He jokes and she looks up at him, chuckling.

"I am sorry. I... Got a little too carried away." Din shakes his head, reaching down as she pays careful consideration to his lower area, taking her face with a shaky hand and smiles at her when she meets his eyes.

"You are perfect." He repeats back and she leans into his touch happily, a happy glint in her pretty blue eyes.

"I am preparing you a bath right quick so you can soak for a bit. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that sounds really nice." Amalas smiles again, warm and inviting before finishing wiping him down, and tosses the cloth into a small clothes bin nearby. Din feels sorry for that poor maidservant who has to do the laundry later.

"Come on." Slowly, despite the killer back pain and his legs almost giving out on him, she helps him to the shower where a large beautiful white ornate bathtub sat in the corner. Din figures that this place is weird enough with its entirely different culture from the rest of the galaxy, it makes sense as to why they would have a big bathtub instead of a shower.

Amalas helps him into the water. It's hot, not where it hurts, but hot enough where it immediately starts to soothe him, and man, does it feel amazing.

"You don't want to join me? He asks as he gets settled, and whatever she put in the water smells amazing and feels amazing, soothing his aching body. Amalas looks at him hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" Din nods.

"Please. There's enough room for both of us." Amalas takes that into consideration before agreeing, standing and letting her robe fall, and Din is pretty sure he could get used to that sight. She climbs in with him and he makes sure she can settle comfortably, and Amalas reaches and takes his face into her hands, looking at him with a stern look.

"Are you absolutely positive you are okay?" Din smiles, wrapping his hands around her wrists, gently pulling them away from his face so he can kiss the palm of her hands gently. She relaxes at that, her face softening as she watches.

"I'm perfect." He replies. And it's true. He's never felt more relaxed in his life before. Din doesn't think he's felt this relaxed ever in his life before at that, so the change was definitely new and different, but a good new and different.

"Thank you." Din whispers.

* * *

Amalas had granted him an invitation to stay for the night, but the thought of Grogu waking up to him gone made him say no. Despite the yearning to be with her in her bed for the night, he wanted to be with his kid for their first night here instead.

"I understand." Amalas steps close, taking his face in her hands before he puts the helmet back on, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. Din returns it, sighing against her. Once they break, they press their foreheads together, their noses brushing.

"I will see you tomorrow, Din." She smiles sweetly at him, and Din melts.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He presses one last kiss on her lips before putting the helmet back on and leaving her quarters, hoping no one would see him leaving the queen's room. Somehow he manages it back to the room without falling, despite the shake in his legs still present, and the guard is still there, thankfully. He gives Din a nod as he approaches, the tiniest smile on the guard's face, and Din wonders what that was about, but exhaustion overcomes his curiosity. Din opened the door, stepping in and shutting it as quietly as possible. He takes the helmet off and sets it on the side table, then goes to the other side of the bed to check on Grogu. He's still deep asleep, but he's now on his side, the blanket tightly wrapped around him as he snores quietly. Din gently lays his hand on his head, smiling down at him before stripping down of his armor and clothes, and picks up the clothes that had been left for him. The clothes are extremely soft and smell really good, and he puts them on before managing to lay down on the side by Grogu's cradle, the covers cool and soft and providing a sense of comfort that he hadn't had in a long time.

Din reaches, gently laying his hand on the side of the cradle, and promptly drifts into the best, dreamless sleep he'd ever had.


	6. "At least there were some family moments, right?"

The mixture between the morning rays and a tiny hand touching his face woke Din up the following morning. Din slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the heaviness from his eyelids to see Grogu staring at him with wide eyes.

It takes about thirty seconds for Din's brain to wake up and process, and with a start, he realizes Grogu is staring at his helmet less face. At first, they just stare at each other before Grogu reaches out slowly, laying his small hand on his nose. Din almost sobs at the touch, despite all the touch he received the previous night, but this was different. This was a familiar touch, a loving touch between him and Grogu that for some reason, only they could have.

"Hey, buddy..." He whispers, and thankfully, the tired tone overcomes the hoarse tone from last night, mixing it together. Grogu coos, his eyes lighting up at that. Din smiles, lifting his blankets a bit for Grogu to come settle with him, and the kid's ears lift up excitedly. He slowly makes his way next to him, getting comfy up against his chest and nuzzling into his neck, making Din sniff back a cry. He pulls the blanket over them, laying his hand on Grogu's back as he gets comfortable. Din pushes his arm under the pillow then lays down on it, tilting his head down to look down at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't show my face sooner, kid." He whispers, getting a coo in response. "But I've been thinking a lot lately, and... I want to start being better, okay? For me, and for you. How's that sound?" Grogu giggles happily in response to that, reaching with both hands this time to hold Din's face, and this time, a couple of tears do fall. Din closes his eyes, his hand on Grogu's back gently pushing him closer to him.

"I promise I won't ever leave you, Grogu. I promise on my life."

* * *

The two sleep for a couple more hours, and then they both get ready for the day. Din, to his surprise, finds his armor on a stand with all of his undergarments folded neatly, the gloves and vambraces on the table next to it, and from what he can tell, they've been washed and cleaned. The armor looks polished, and Din's face burns at the thought of someone coming into his room while he was sleeping, possibly seeing his face, yet at the same time, he feels warm that someone would go to those lengths. Maybe that someone was Amalas.

Din gave Grogu a bath to the kid's delight and changed him into the clothes that had been left for them earlier. They were similar to his old clothes, the dark tan familiar to both of them, but a little more snug and comfortable. Din smiles down at him as he coos happily as Din slides the pendent over his neck again.

"Happy?" He asked, and Grogu tilts his head, his eyes big with pleading. Din knew that face right away. "Yeah, I know, buddy. I'm a bit hungry, too. Let me go to the fresher real quick then we'll see what we can do about food." He picks him up and sets him down to explore again, making sure his staff and rifle are out of Grogu's reach, and the kid immediately starts to toddle around the room with excitement, cooing at anything that interests him. Din watches with warmth on his face, then realizes he's not behind a helmet anymore and quickly goes into the fresher to use the sonic, putting a hand to his stomach. Despite Amalas's aftercare, his stomach still felt cramped after last night, and at least he was back to somewhat normal after that. Still felt odd to sit down, though. When he was in the shower, he noticed bruises in the shapes of her fingers on his hips. His vision spotted when he saw that.

Grogu was staring out the glass doors when he came out, and Din smiled softly at the wondrous look on his face.

"You want to see outside?" Grogu coos with confirmation. Din picks him up, sliding the door aside and stepping out onto the balcony to overlook the planet a little closer. Sure, Din had seen green before, but usually those plants were untamed foliage, whereas this plant's trees were tamed and looked as if they'd been strategically placed in the forests that surrounded the town and palace. The room's balcony gets him a partial view of behind the palace and some of the city. He saw the gardens and fields when they landed, but he let Grogu get a longer view since when they had landed, he had been in the bag by his hip. He bends down, (which was a large mistake), and sets Grogu on the ground, holding back that noise of pain that built in his throat. He straightens up quickly, thankful that the balcony was secure enough where Grogu wouldn't accidentally go to the edge and possibly fall off.

"It's really pretty here, huh?" He muses. Grogu coos in agreement, turning his head slowly as he took in the place. "Amalas said you'll be training here for a while, but she wants you to be settled before that happens. I just don't know what that means." Grogu seems to listen to him, watching his face as he talks. "We just need to... Respect our hosts while we're here, okay? That means no running off or stealing people's cookies or items. I know what you did back on Navarro." His ears droop at that, making a sad noise. "Yeah, I know you were hungry. Speaking of food, I wonder if we can find some breakfast here..."

As soon as he speaks, he hears a knock at the door. Din picks him back up and runs to the bed where he'd set his helmet, quickly sliding it on before clearing his throat. He can almost feel the amusement from Grogu at that.

"Come in." The door opens, a maidservant standing on the other side, a tray in her hands.

"Good morning." She greets kindly. "I brought you two some breakfast. May I set it in the common area?"

"Of course. Thank you." She bows slightly before walking in, gently setting it on the table by the couches, then returned to the door, bowing once more.

"Is the accommodations to your liking?" She asks.

"Yes, thank you." She smiles sweetly, her eyes drifting to Grogu standing by his legs, his hands holding the ammo holds on the boots.

"Her Majesty will call for you when she is ready to speak with you. For now, please eat. If there is anything else that I can do for you, please let me know." Din gives a low nod and she heads out, shutting the door behind her. Grogu coos softly.

"Yes, we can eat." He walks over to the area, sitting down on one of the couches and lifting Grogu up to sit. The food definitely looks better than the rations and bars they'd been living off of, and Din has to be honest that he's not used to that kind of luxury. Occasionally a hot meal after a client from years past, but otherwise it was usually just packaged product. The food was separated by two plates, one for him, one for Grogu. Grogu's plate had some sort of weird egg-looking things, and Din thought of the poor frog-lady's spawn. Hopefully the food here would fill Grogu's stomach enough where he wouldn't get into things he shouldn't.

His own plate was a mix between what hopefully was cooked eggs, different looking kinds of berries, and some cooked up meat. Grogu's plate looked entirely like a carnivore's, so Din slightly prayed that it would keep him full.

They ate peacefully, the events of last night playing through his mind over and over. Her kind was so strange. They all shared common features with the red hair and blue or green eyes, fair or light tan skin, and the markings. So far, he'd only seen Amalas with the kind of marks she has, everyone else with different smaller markings, and blue, pink or green instead of gold. Din wondered if the gold was only for royals, and that's why he hadn't seen anyone else with the same color as her. It'd make sense. Plus, the whole thing about them being _intersex_? Okay, sure, he knew there were some species out there with a higher sex drive than him, since he was a human, but her species...

It made sense as to why her kind were enslaved and Din's insides twisted at the thought of the misery her kind must've went through. Any kind of enslavement was horrible, but sex slavery? Reproductive slavery, too.

Din made a conclusion that he'd needed to get ahold of some sort of history text. He really didn't feel comfortable asking her directly, so he settled for a written version instead. If he could find it. He wondered where the library was at in this building. Would Amalas let him venture around?

Grogu burping brought him out of his thoughts, and Din laughed for the first time since the day on Tython. He cooed up at him curiously, offended.

"Yeah, I'm laughing at you, kid. You good?" He asks as he wipes off some remnants on his kid's face. Grogu cooed back at him. "Amalas said she knows some things about the species you are, so hopefully she'll know how to deal with your weird appetite, yeah?" Grogu giggles at that. "You're an interesting kid, you know that?" He cooed once more, making Din chuckle warmly.

"Alright, let's get cleaned up."

* * *

Din slid on his helmet just in time for the knock to sound. He opened the door, the maidservant from before standing there, her hands clasps in front of her. She bows her head to him.

"Queen Amalas requests your presence in the conference room. Please follow me." She starts down the hall without waiting for his answer, and he looks down at Grogu with a raised eyebrow.

"Want to walk or be carried?"

Grogu started walking down the hall in reply to that.

"Okay." Din mutters to himself. "Little rude."

They follow the servant downstairs to the main foyer like as if he were to go to Amalas's springs again. The thought made bumps break out on his skin. At least he was covered head to toe, so it didn't matter. She leads them to the right instead of left, opening two doors to a corridor. Then about halfway down she stops and gestures to an open door leading out to an observation balcony. He gives her a nod in thanks, makes sure Grogu is still following him and steps out onto the balcony quietly. To his left are stairs that actually lead to where the throne is.

Din isn't sure what he just stepped into, but tensions were high, and he could feel the air crackling with energy. He nearly stepped right back out.

The man from yesterday who interrupted their dinner stood in the middle, surrounded by multiple people in seats in an oval shape to match the oval shaped room. Men and women in robes that signified their position sat in chairs with a long counter stretching from end to the other. On the right side of the room were gold double doors where two guards stood. The counters ended a few feet away from the wall for passage from the seats. To the left of the room, the middle open with stairs leading up to the throne, where Amalas sat.

Din, once again, forgot how to breathe.

Her hair was tied back into braids on the sides of her head with her hair curled behind her and she wore the same wreath like yesterday, tucked into her braids. She wore two gold bands on her biceps, right above her markings. She wore a simple gold braided bracelet on her right wrist. Her crystal necklace was still around her neck. Her dress is what made him swallow thickly. The colors of the dress reflected a sunset, with the pink, orange, red and dark purple. The top part wrapped around her neck in a V shape up to her neck, then wrapped around chest and mid area, leaving a small diamond shaped hole right below her cleavage in the middle, showing just the barest of her breasts. The fabric then crossed over each other to go around her back, but he noticed that skin peeked out from her sides, and wondered if the back part was open. Amalas had one leg crossed over the other in a casual fashion, and the dress seemed to part for room for her thighs to walk, so her bare leg was right out in the open. And when he looked closer, he could see the bruises he put on her thighs in the springs, and his face warmed above its normal level. Hopefully, no one else would notice. Since her leg was bare, he could see that she wore gold ankle high sandals, and by her ankle bone, was actually a small tattoo he hadn't noticed before, but he couldn't see it.

She was leaning to her left, her cheek resting on her fist as she listened with a blank look on her face to the man.

"-I am simply saying that this decree would make the people happier!"

"This decree takes away half the profits from the farmers, Rowan!" A woman snapped from a chair on the opposite wall. She waves her screen in irritation. "Do you not realize that?! Our farmers thrive because they benefit from _all_ of their profits, not just some! That is how we have had so many successful harvests for years, because they can actually buy and upgrade their equipment as they see fit!"

"Yet they use it for other luxury items, as well! They are costing us more and more each month. This decree would limit their spending habits." What did Amalas say his name was again? Rowan? Din wanted to activate his flamethrower so bad in that instance. Who was he trying to dictate how they can use their profits that they earned?

"But then that makes way towards the rest of the people. Our merchants, teachers, all of them would suffer from this decree later on." A man says, not quite as snappy as the woman, but the frustration is still evident in his voice.

"I agree with Osco." Another woman says, pointing to the man who just spoke. "Our people are thriving because of the amount they have. They are happy and we have a surge in production rates because they make livable amounts."

"Yet what about outside profits, hmm? They are making secondary income from outside sources. That kind of income alone could have an unusual impact-"

"Enough."

The room goes quiet as Amalas stands, her eyes burning holes into Rowan's figure. The sheer fabric falls around her like curtains in the breeze, covering her back up, much to Din's disappointment. She was clearly not happy, annoyance and irritation prominent on her face. The "enough" was a command, stern and forward, but with no raise in volume. She carried enough power to quiet a room with just a _word._

"I will not discuss this any longer. You have crossed far too many lines, Rowan. Your decree is hereby decommissioned. You are on suspension while you think about what actually goes on with our people and why they thrive. You will not bring this up anymore." She turns back to the throne, picking up the screen she had sitting near her on a table next to the throne, and it shatters in her hand. The glass is immediately cleaned up by a servant nearby. Rowan is quiet, fuming in his place, his hands clenched at his sides. Instead of being surprised or shocked, the other counselors simply shake their heads, as if they knew this was coming. Din didn't blame them. Just the meeting yesterday had put a distaste in Din's mouth.

"Is this about your new consort?" He hisses out, and Din goes cold at that word again. Grogu looks up at him, but Din can't look back at him. "It is a shame that the Mandalorians have fallen to such a low-"

Rowan freezes in place, his body going stiff as a board as clear pain erupts in his face, but no noise comes out. Amalas turns around slowly, a shadow over her face as she faces Rowan with a cold, "you're dead" glare. Amalas walks down the stairs smoothly toward him. Her hands aren't clenched on her sides, and Din quietly gulps. He'd noticed that with both Ahsoka and her that they usually used their hands, but apparently they could just... Use it with their minds?

"You will _not_ speak about the Mandalorian in that way, and you will _never_ speak about the Mandalorian ever again. If I ever that word begin to come out of your mouth ever again, you will not live to see tomorrow." Amalas comes to a stop in front of him, and fear flashes through the man's eyes. "Rowan Otha, you are hereby stripped of your title as Secretary of the People, and will return to your house's name in a disgraced position." Amalas reaches up, taking the necklace that hung around his neck and ripping it off in a way to show disgrace, and Din had to say that it was sort of...

_Sexy._

Amalas turns away as she releases Rowan, who falls to his knees gasping in pain. He still manages to let out a laugh, though, and Din feels his heart sink.

"So it _is_ true!" He laughs. "You have taken him as your consort! How amusing! Have you already courted him enough to take him to bed?" Several counselors cover their mouths in horror, others stare in shock, some just glare daggers at the man.

The look Rowan received was molten enough to melt even Beskar.

"Guards." Amalas hisses. Two guards come up behind him, grabbing one arm each. "You know where to take him." The guards nod, quickly slapping a mouth cover on the man before he can say anymore obscenities about Din, immediately dragging him out the doors, and the doors are shut behind them by two other guards with a quiet yet firm thud.

Amalas sits back down on her throne, laying her hands out on the armrests and sitting straight, looking over the counselor's tables with a slight sigh.

"I apologize for that... Unfortunate situation."

"Good riddance." Osca said, surprising Din, and everyone nods in agreement. "It is about time you fire him, he has been on this counsel for far too long." Amalas gives a small smile to the counselors, nodding in thanks.

"Now, I know I was not able to get to everyone yesterday. What else needs to be covered today?"

* * *

Din, surprisingly, wasn't bored as they talked politics. Normally when this thing would happen, he'd attempt a nap behind the helmet, but because it was his host planet, he was intrigued with them. The politics, the people, even the drama that had just transpired. And he admired the way Amalas listened to the council, her gaze always on the person talking. She provided advice and ideas to their ideas to collaborate with them, and they took them into consideration. Grogu even seemed fascinated, despite probably not understanding most of it.

"And the last thing for the day..." A man says as he picks up the final screen he had in front of him. "Since you were off world last year, the people would be more than happy to have your presence at the festival this year. And the coordinator would like to work alongside you and receive your advice on how the celebration could go." Amalas smiles warmly at the counselor.

"I would be honored. Tell him I will meet him tomorrow morning at the palace entrance." The counselor nods. "Thank you all for your patience. I know these past few weeks have been uncertain, but I thank you for your cooperation in the meantime."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Just because you are our queen does not mean you do not have other obligations." Osca says. "We are happy we have a caring queen like you." Amalas smiles softly before turning her head to look at Captain Yarick as he approaches. He leans down and whispers something to her, making her nod.

"Thank you, Captain. Tell her to land in her normal platform and I will meet her there. How long until she is here?"

"About three hours."

"Good. Enough time for some lunch." Yarick gives her a bow before leaving, and Din questions who would be landing. He thinks maybe Bo-Katan, but...

"So, my queen, if it is not too personal..." A woman says slowly, leaning forward on her elbows, placing her chin in her hands. She gives a dazzling smile at her queen. "Are you to be wed soon?" Din frowns behind his mask, his heart sinking a little. Was she betrothed? Or were they insinuating something else?

Amalas lets out a chuckle, a little bit startled at that question. "I do not know, Estreya, you tell me. Do I look ready to be wed?"

"Oh, come now, you must have a prospect in line, do you not?" Osca face-palms at the woman, a few counselors laughing softly. Amalas stares at her with a smile, causing pretty wrinkles around her eyes.

"Plus, you will have to continue the bloodline eventually, right?" Another counselor prods, but again, Amalas doesn't answer, simply chuckling to herself.

"Mandalorian." His head snaps up, looking at her, but she doesn't look at him, staring at the counselor's with an even look, the smile still on her face. "Be kind and escort me out, will you?" Din resists the blush on his face, making sure Grogu was near him but hidden. He descends the stairs as a few counselors whisper among themselves, watching him carefully. He approaches the throne and she extends her hand, letting him bring up his own palm and grip her hand in his hand, following her movements as she stood.

"Have a good afternoon, counselors. I will see you all later." A few women giggle as their eyes give him a good once-over, and he suddenly feels as though he's on a mantel to be looked at. Sure, the Beskar draws a lot of eyes, not to mention him being a Mandalorian, but this was different since he knew what their species were like. Amalas slides her hand through his arm, laying her hand on his bicep as they start to walk away.

"Have a good afternoon, Your Highness!" He hears a counselor call. "Just not _too_ good!" He lets out a choked noise at that, making Amalas smile at him.

Finally, they enter into the hallway, but they don't separate. Grogu walks beside them, happy about their slow pace so he can keep up. They start down the hallway, and he feels comforted by her presence. Grogu was the only other person that could make him feel comforted, so Amalas being a second was a very surprising occurance.

"I apologize about Rowan." She says after a few minutes of silence. "I sensed your presence before you came in, but I had no idea that it would escalate into that kind of situation." Her grip tightens around his bicep, almost possessively. Din is secretly touched by that.

"It's alright." He says quietly. "You handled it well."

"I wish I did not need to handle anything. Like I said, when there are men like him in the galaxy there will be strife."

"I agree. No matter what kind of rebellion or republic there is, there always seems to be some sort of enemy." She hums in agreement. "May I ask why he was still on your council if he was so bad?"

"He had been on my grandparents' council, and he was a trusted advisor when they were on the throne. But since the downfall of the Jedi Order, he had become complacent, almost as if he had turned to the Empire instead of being neutral. We just could never prove it. He was always trying to start arguments, and challenge the throne's authority."

"Should have thrown him out sooner." Amalas sighs.

"I wish I did. I am so sorry he said those words about you. He had absolutely no right to call you that awful slur."

"It's okay. Thank you for standing up for me, even if I wanted to handle it myself."

"Oh, trust me, I would have let you. I try to keep a peaceful calm over my people, but sometimes... I can get a bit caught up in the moment. If you know what I mean." She purrs. He blushes under his helmet but it seems that his entire body warms. "How are you feeling, by the way? I know it was a bit much last night."

"Oh, it's... I slept really good. The best I have in a while. A long while."

"Good." Amalas muses happily. "I am... I'm happy to hear that."

"How about you? Did you sleep okay?" Despite Din staring straight ahead, he knows she bites her lip at that question.

"I slept well, yes. Thank you for asking."

They walk in silence for a bit, listening to Grogu coo at things he notices that are shiny or interesting to him, and he hears a soft sigh from Amalas.

"Din, I want us to be comfortable with each other. I am attracted to you, and I would like to pursue something with you, but if you would like to take it slow, I would be more than happy to oblige."

Din looks at her, but she keeps her head straight, waiting for his answer, so he returns his attention back to the hallway.

"It's... I've never been attracted to someone like you before, so this is all new. I've had... Encounters, but nothing like this." Amalas nods.

"I understand."

"So... If you'd... If you are okay with it, I'd like to take it slow. Figure out what I want to do, and what's going to happen. Especially with Grogu. I can't say for sure what's going to happen, even with your promise to train him. If I've learned anything these past few months, it's nothing is predictable."

"You make a very good point. If that is what you wish, then so be it." They come to a stop in front of the doors leading outside. "Then may I propose getting to know each other better? I know it will be difficult for you to open up, and if you do not want to, that is okay-"

"No!"

Amalas looks at him surprised, and Grogu looks up at him at the exclaim, cooing sadly at the raise of voice.

"Sorry." He quickly says, kneeling down and pulling Grogu close. "I didn't mean to yell, it's okay." Grogu makes a noise that sounds like an "okay" but Din can't be sure. He gently pulls away, standing back up, thankful for his helmet to hide his expressions.

"I didn't mean to yell." He replies more evenly. "I would like to get to know you better, but... You'll have to be patient. It's difficult for me to open up to people."

"No kidding." She replies, raising her eyebrow. A playful smile was on her lips, though. "Want to take a walk with me through the gardens?" He extends his elbow once more in response to that and she smiles, sliding her hand through to resume their last position, and the doors slide open with the Force, it seemed. Grogu waddles out in front of them happily, looking star-struck with all the new sights.

"He sure is happy." Amalas comments as they walk to the gardens.

"He is. It's good. We've been running around for too long."

"I know how that feels."

The suns are shining overhead, a few clouds throughout the sky. It's warm, not hot or humid, which is really nice. The gardens are set up beautifully, with a tall tree in the middle of the main courtyard, a fountain with crystal clear water wrapped around the base of it. Small spouts line the edges of it, creating water arches over the bowl. The courtyard is of different colored stone, and laid quite beautifully on the ground. In some cracks of the ground between stones, grass showed like blue veins. Other shady trees were placed around in the gardens with either benches underneath them or some parts of grass underneath.

"So... You said you served during the time of the Clone Wars, right? I was just a kid then, towards the end."

"I did. I was visiting Mandalore when it was taken by a Sith. I was able to escape, but... I was not able to save my mother."

"I'm sorry."

"I had the power to do it, but my own fear took it over. It cost me my mother. I was able to fight Maul, but not without almost falling to the Dark Side." She sighs. "The Clone Wars caused many people to suffer, including yourself, I assume?"

"Yes... My parents... They, uh, they died when droids took siege to our town. That's where the Mandalorians found me."

"The Watch?"

"Yes." She nods. "What can you tell me about them? If you know of them?"

"When my mother was duchess, she promoted pacifism because of Mandalore's past. However, there was a group called Death Watch that wanted nothing more than to see her off the throne. They had Separatist help in the long run, too."

"The more I learn, the more I'm appalled, and I'm a bounty hunter." Amalas laughs lightly. He smiles at that, looking at her with a loving look behind his helmet. He hopes he's not projecting through the Force. If she can read him, she doesn't let on.

"The things that happened on the field were appalling, yes. But... There were small moments of light, too. Sometimes the battalions would play jokes on each other. Like once, one of the commanders took his general's lightsabers and hid it, and he spent the whole day looking for it. Good thing it was not an active day." She giggles. "He was not amused, but the guys needed some morale encouragement, and it made them happy, so he was happy. He loved them more than anything."

"At least there were some family moments, right?"

"Mm." She replies, her gaze somewhere far away. "In those little bouts of light, nothing else mattered. The war was far away from our minds, and the only thing that mattered in was the happiness and memories. But now those are only memories, especially after Order 66."

"You were there."

"I was. I wasn't on Coruscant, but I was there when the order was commanded. I almost died on that day. I shouldn't have lived, but here I am." They come to a grassy patch underneath a shady tree, breaking away from each other to sit down. Grogu waddles after them before a small butterfly catches his attention and pulls him away again. Amalas pulls off her sandals and sets them aside, sitting her feet in the grass and wiggling her toes.

"Don't go far." Din calls out after him, then turns to look at her. "You have survivor's guilt, don't you?"

"My father and I were some of the Jedi to escape. Yoda, the one of Grogu's species, survived and went and hid, and my father and I decided it would be best if we separated to prevent any problems if the Empire came looking for any remaining Jedi. I never saw him again, only through holocalls." She stares down at her dress, plucking off invisible pieces of lint off the fabric. Din's heart hurts and he wants to hug her, he does, but at the same time, he had just said he wanted to take it slow. Instead, he places his hand on top of hers that was on the ground.

"I'm sorry. What happened to him?" Amalas stares straight ahead, her head somewhere else, and Din was about to apologize when her hand turns and grips his, gently squeezing it unconsciously.

"He died." She says, almost too quiet to hear. "He lived as a hermit for twenty years on Tattooine just to die at the hands of Darth Vader, who was once-" She inhales sharply. "Who was once a great Jedi."

"You... Knew him?"

"Oh, I knew everyone. I knew the man who eventually turned out to be the Emperor, I knew the Jedi who was once a fantastic person, and then he fell to the dark side and became known as Darth Vader." She pulls her legs up to her body, still staring far away. "I knew everyone." She whispers once more, but it's more to herself than to him.

And Din thought his life was depressing.

Quickly looking around and finding nobody, he slowly pulls off his helmet and gently pulls her hand up to his face, kissing the back of it gently.

"Looks like we're both screwed up, huh?" He murmurs against her skin. She laughs softly, finally turning her head to look at him and softens when she sees his helmet off. She reaches over, cupping his face and stroking his scruff with her thumb, her eyes warm. She can't seem to stop touching him. Din does not mind at all.

"I did not mean to make it all about me, I'm sorry."

"You're perfect." He whispers. The look she gives him makes him want to her kiss her hard to the point of being breathless yet he resists. "I want to know more about you. How else will we get to know each other?" She makes a face of "you have a point" and unfortunately, they pull away from each other, letting their hands linger from the contact. He pulls his helmet back on and leans his back against the tree trunk, placing one arm on his knee that was up with his other leg partially crossed under him as he watches her carefully.

"So, why are you queen? Were you the only grandchild?"

"Oh, no, I wasn't the only one. But my brothers, well, uncles actually, did not want to be king. Any of them. So they all abdicated and left the throne to me."

"That was harsh." She shrugs nonchalantly.

"My birth mother was duchess, my birth father was a prince for a short time, I figured if royalty runs in my line, how hard could being queen be?"

"And how hard is it?"

"Oh, harder than you can imagine. When I was crowned, I had no idea what the hell to do, but my parents were kind enough to stay and help me get on some sort of course. Two of my uncles are retired and living here on Stewjon, the other two are delegates for the New Republic." He tilts his head slightly.

"Really?"

"My species... We were once called the Charmspeaker people because of how we can delegate and direct things. I'm sure you saw that in the conference today, yeah?"

"I did. It was really impressive." He thinks of his own mediations, like between the Tusken Raiders both times he'd been on Tattooine in the past couple of months. "If... If you don't mind me asking..."

"Are you going to ask me about my age again?"

"I... Maybe?" Amalas is quiet for a minute, and Din is afraid he's gone too far before she looks up at him, smiling.

"I will let you do the math, then. I was born in 37 BBY." Then she lays back, folding her arms under her head and turning her head so she's staring at him with amusement as he tries to work the math.

When it finally clicks, he stares at her, swallowing thickly.

"You're ten years older than I am? But younger than _him?_ " Din points with his thumb in the direction Grogu is in. She smirks at him.

"So, what age does that place me?"

"F-Forty-six."

"So you are thirty-six?"

"Yes."

"Ohh, I am in trouble now." She sits back up, smiling at him with a not so innocent grin.

"You look like you're twenty-five."

"Why, thank you." She giggles, shrugging one shoulder. "Like I said, my species can live up to almost two hundred years old, so we don't usually start aging until we are about eighty. My father on the other hand... Well, let us just say stress can do a shit ton for your body." Din stares at her for a bit longer before turning his head to try and find his kid, and he finds him nearby, sitting in a small patch of flowers, a butterfly on his head as he just relaxes with the suns. The look of relaxation is enough to put Din at ease and he turns back to her. She, too, was looking at Grogu, smiling softly at the sight.

"So, what they said about continuing the bloodline... I mean, you have your uncles, right? If something happened to you, wouldn't they be able to step in?"

"Of course, and I do have cousins who could take the throne, but they are happy with the way their lives are right now. So, it is up to me to have children now."

"Oh."

"Why? Are you offering?"

His body lit up like it was on fire and all he could do was just stare at her, his brain not quite processing that sentence, and she bursts out laughing. Amalas puts her hand on his knee, adding fuel to the fire, and smiles at him impurely.

"I mean, if you are offering, then..." She glances down, giving him enough to imagine what she was looking at before she turns back to normal.

_So much for taking it slow._

But then she pulls away. "I am just playing, Din." He lets out a rough grunt in reply, and she simply smirks.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, watching how Grogu was just curious about everything around him, touching what he could reach gently, and staring at the things he couldn't.

"So, why weren't you raised as a Jedi? You fought alongside them."

"I did. When I was a baby, I begin showing the signs of the Force." She adjusts her hand so her palm is face up, and with a small movement of her fingers, a few rocks begin levitating. "My grandparents walked in my room to see everything levitating, even my cradle. They called the Jedi, and sent one master to confirm it. His name was Qui-Gon Jinn, and he was a great Jedi. Qui-Gon came and confirmed that I was strong with the Force, but then he refused to take me. Jedi were infamous for taking children away from their families and raising them in the Order, and he did not want that life for me. So, instead, he "trained" me by sending me holos, books and data pads, and when I was ready, sent me the parts for my lightsabers, but I had to find the crystal on my own. He told me where and when to go, and to say the least... That was the most terrifying thing I had to experience."

"Even though you fought in a war?"

"Oh, trust me, the wars were bad, but that was... It was an intrusion. That's where I found out my true heritage and how I came into existence."

"I'm still lost on that." Amalas chuckles lightly.

"I was born because the Force simply willed it, yet I hold the blood of my father and mother in me." Din just stares at her blankly. "I sound crazy."

"Yes."

"Good to know."

"I'm sorry, I... I didn't really sign up for any of this after I got the kid. When the mudhorn happened, I started questioning a lot."

"For a Mandalorian, you do not know much about Mandalorian history, do you?" He rubs his fingers together, staring at her bemused.

"I thought I did."

"Well, the library is open to you. Have at it whenever you feel like it."

"And where is it in this giant building?" Amalas's mouth twitches, but then she points up and he follows her finger.

"Do you see the dome glass in the back on the fourth floor?"

"Yes."

"Fourth floor, near the back. The library is pretty much the whole floor."

"Thank you. I... Appreciate everything." She smiles at him again, and his stomach does little twirls. A maidservant approaches, a bit younger than the one from before, and she curtsies to Amalas and Din. Her hair is tied into a curly ponytail, and she has lines like the captain, pink instead of blue.

"Good afternoon, my queen." She greets.

"Afternoon, Illana, what can I do for you?"

"The children would like to play in the gardens again today. I just wanted to be sure it was okay with you if they did." She nods at Din. "And they would like to play with his child, too." Amalas turns her head to him, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, the children playing in the gardens is fine with me, but it is his decision." Din hesitates, looking at Grogu before deciding.

"That's fine. Just... Don't let them take him out of my sight." He says gruffly.

"Of course." She bows once more before calling out, and a small group of children come outside, waving at Amalas and him before surrounding Grogu. The scene reminds him of Sorgan, and his heart feels a twinge at the thought. He turns his head back as the servant brings a woven basket full of small flowers and sets it by Amalas, who smiles appreciatively toward her.

"Thank you." She bows, then goes to monitor the kids nearby. Amalas sits up, crossing her legs, the fabric of her dress parting so her thighs and part of her hips are bare. He lets his eyes trail down slightly, and notices the bruises he left on her thighs still prominent, peeking out from behind the fabric, as if taunting him.

"They do not hurt, if that is what you are wondering." Amalas says nonchalantly, taking two flowers out of the basket. Din's face warms as he looks back up at her, but she doesn't turn her head to meet his gaze. "Do yours hurt?"

"No, they feel fine." She smiles slightly.

"Have you ever made a flower crown?"

"Do I look like I have?"

"Point taken." She scoots a bit closer to him to show what she's doing, her fingers working delicately. He's not really paying attention to her words, instead admiring the way when the suns caught her hair, it burned a bright red. Plus, she was so _close._ "So, you take one stem, and you make sure you loop it like so, then you slide the other stem in like this, wrap the first stem around the other stem, and then you repeat the process. Want to give it a try?"

"Sure." She picks up the basket and sets it on the ground so both of them can reach it. He takes two out, and starts an attempt at following her instructions. Unfortunately, she makes it look so easy, and sure, Din is able to pick things up right away, but damn, it was difficult.

"How do you make it look so easy?" He asks finally in frustration. Amalas snickers at him.

"I am not wearing gloves, for one thing." Din pauses, looking up at her before back down at his gloves.

"Oh." Din sets the flowers down then slowly pulls off the gloves, setting them by his hip before picking them back up.

"Also, your stems are too loosely wrapped. Here, wrap them like this." She sets down her half-made crown and scoots herself up closer to him to take his crown and show him in a closer setting. Her knee brushes him and his vision spots for a second, before he forces himself to look down at her hands.

"So, you have to loop it like this, a bit tight, but not too not tight where you cannot get the stem in, then you slide in it like so... And tighten it again, and repeat. Make sense?" _Not really._

"Yeah." Amalas moves back to where she was, much to his disappointment, and they make the crowns in silence until Din breaks it.

"Where'd you learn how to make these?"

"My grandmother. When I was little we used to sit in the middle of the fields and just make flower crowns. One day we made enough for the whole palace. Even the captain of the guard back then was wearing one." Din smiles behind his helmet. "She would tell me during our times together about she and my grandfather met, how they fell in love, and how they produced five kids."

"So since you are their granddaughter, why did they never piece it together that their son had a kid?"

"My father did not even know he had a child. He did not even know his own family until the end of the war when I showed up. They had a theory that I was his daughter, but they never could confirm it until we were all in the same room together."

"I know you said he died because of Vader. How did you know he died?" Once again, like when she talked about her mother and the Jedi who trained her, her gaze gets distant and she goes quiet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You've opened up a lot to me."

"I know, it's alright. I always get a little distant when I talk about them. I lost many, but their deaths had the greatest impact on me. How I knew? I felt his life leave this world when he passed."

"Because of the Force?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." He says quietly. "I know how you're feeling."

"Yes, I suppose you would know." She smiles as she lifts her crown into the air to examine it. "What do you think? Good?" He smiles, then realizes she can't see him, so he nods.

"It looks great."

"Good to know." She then gets onto her knees, sitting in front of him and placing the crown on the top of his helmet, giggling to herself at the sight. Din can't help but stare at her features that are lit up with the suns, and dear maker, he just wants to pull her down and kiss her right there. The crown doesn't quite sit correctly on the smooth metal so she has to catch it as it starts to slip off.

"Ah, shame. You do look funny with it on top of your helmet, though." Amalas sits back on her feet, still on her knees in front of him, and he watches as she gently fixes some parts of the crown that looked a bit loose. Din sits up, setting his sort of crappy made crown to the side carefully, taking hers from her hands and gently setting it on top of her head, adjusting it to the right position.

"There, a crown fit for a queen." He muses, moving his hands away from the top of her head, but he can't help gently trailing the back of his knuckles against the curls on the sides of her face. Surprisingly, a light red blush tints her cheeks and tips of her ears, looking shy all of a sudden. Din made a mental note to compliment her more often. Slowly, he gently cups the right side of her face, his thumb gently brushing over her cheekbone, and she lets out a quiet yet shuddered sigh at the feeling, her eyelids fluttering.

"I thought you were wanting to take things slow..." She murmurs, yet there's a soft, almost wanting tone to her voice. Din doesn't reply. He feels his hand start to gravitate towards his helmet, his gaze never leaving her face, before children giggling catches both their attentions.

They snap their heads to see the group of kids and Grogu, giggling to themselves at the sight, looking rather interested in the situation.

"Miss Amalas has a boyfriend!" A little girl announces and Amalas's face burns red. His face burns too. Again, he's thankful for his helmet.

"I do not!" She yelps as they pull away from each other. She gets up, playful anger evident in her face as she points at them. "You better run!" The kids squeal and disperse, and Amalas chases after them, some fabric clenched her hand, the kids scattering to make sure she can't catch them all. Grogu makes happy noises as he waddles around as fast as he can, a couple of kids guarding him to make sure he doesn't get snatched by the queen. Somewhere in the back of Din's mind, he envisions this scene with maybe _their_ kids; chasing them in the gardens while he relaxes and admires his wife and kids.

_Wife._

The flower crown, the beautiful flowing dress, her bare feet, the way her hair moves and glints with the sunlight, the pure joy evident on her face...

_I'm so whipped._


	7. "She's a hypocrite, then."

"So, why is that sword so important to Mandalorians?" Din asks as they watch the kids play in the fields.

They'd been making flower crowns for the past two hours, and they had made enough for everyone so they distributed them to all the kids, and even Illana accepted one. After the fifth crown, Din had pretty much mastered flower crown making, which was a skill he never thought he'd pick up, but here he was. Now, the two relaxed against the trunk of the tree together, and it took all of the strength that Din had to not put his arm around her and pull her to his side.

Amalas chuckles. "You know that Mandalore never had good relations with the Jedi, right?"

"That's what I've heard."

"Well, in one of the houses on Mandalore, a child was born with the gift of the Force. They called it even, and the child grew up to become a Jedi, and that is where he created the Darksaber. After he died, the Mandalorians stole the saber from the Jedi temple because they believed it was rightfully theirs, and it has been passed down to generation after generation as an act of symbolism and power." Her eyes grow dark as she watches the children run around, her hands clenching on the fabric of her dress. "That saber is what killed my mother."

Din doesn't reply to that, just stares at her in silence. What the hell was he suppose to say in response to that?

"And now you have it."

"Yes."

"So what do you do with it now?"

"The Darksaber's history is a grim one, and the Mandalorians created a ritual that if a person should challenge the throne, the one seated and the challenger would duel for it. The winner would claim the throne." He stares at her for a minute as he processes that.

"So... You're basically supposed to be ruler of Mandalore?"

"Pretty much. But I left all that to my aunt, and now I must return it to her. She is the one who has been hunting for it in the first place. I only happened to stumble upon it when I met you."

"She's not going to be happy."

"No, she will not be."

"Can't you just hand it to her? You know, saying "I yield" and all that?" Amalas laughs, shaking her head.

"Unfortunately, no. We will have to follow the ritual in order for it to be claimed."

"A Jedi versus a Mandalorian again?"

"Mandalorians were always upgrading their arsenal and armor to combat against the Jedi. How else do you think they found Beskar?" She reaches and taps his thigh guard pointedly. "Beskar is the only metal in the galaxy that can withstand the heat of a lightsaber and the fire of a blaster."

"I've experienced both." He mumbles. "Ahsoka attacked me when I found her on Corvus." Amalas turns to him with an incredulous look on her face, before she laughs lightly.

"She probably thought you were there to kill her."

"Yeah, she did until I told her Bo-Katan sent me." He intertwines his hands together in his lap, tilting his head slightly at her. "So, what? You two will battle but only at half strength?"

"I mean, I will only battle at half my strength. If she really wants the saber, she will fight me at full strength."

"So you'll just let her win?"

"What kind of Jedi Queen would I be if I just let a Mandalorian defeat me in a battle for the Darksaber?"

"Not a good one, probably."

"Plus, it will be a public event."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"They are preparing the arena now before she lands. She will get settled and then this evening we will duel."

"And she called me the cultist." He mumbles under his breath. Amalas stiffens at that, turning to him slowly.

"She called you a _cultist_? Directly? To your face? Well, helmet but you know what I mean."

"Yeah. She seemed pretty disgusted, to be honest. I mean, we worked pretty well together, but not without hesitation on both our behalf." She narrows her eyes dangerously, making Din nervous. Oh, he hoped she didn't take it the wrong way. She focuses back on the kids, her face clearly showing she's thinking.

"I see."

"I understood where she was coming from, though. Now I do, anyway." He resists a sigh, adjusting on the grass so the new uncomfortableness didn't add to his already sore behind. Every single time he shifted differently, he felt a spark of pain run through his body, but to him it was just a reminder of how good the previous night was. He quietly wonders if their relationship progressed to something more, would those nights repeat? Maker, he hoped so.

Amalas mutters something under her breath, which is too quiet for him to hear, and he wonders what she said before their attention turns to the captain as he approaches.

"Your Majesty." He greets, giving a short bow. "Lady Bo-Katan will be landing soon."

"Thank you, Yarick." Yarick extends a hand to her which she takes and he helps her stand, gently pulling her up. For some reason, Din feels a flash of jealousy course through his body at that, and he pushes himself off the ground, a bit of aggravation in his actions. Amalas picks up her sandals from behind her, dropping them in front of her feet, before laying a hand on Yarick's forearm for support as she bends down to start pulling them on. Once again, a flash of jealousy hits Din, and he clenches his fists, the leather gloves making an irritated noise from rubbing together. He hopes they don't hear.

"I hope Lady Bo-Katan has sharpened that one skill of hers since the last time you two sparred. It would be a shame if she didn't and you won like you did last time." Yarick comments nonchalantly. He's completely unbothered from being used as support, and Din wonders if she's done that before. Din raises an eyebrow, trying to keep his mind off everything else that follows that thought.

"Last time?"

"Last few times she's been here, Her Majesty and Lady Bo-Katan have sparred for fun. As expected, though, Amalas has always come out on top." Amalas giggles as she finishes pulling on her sandals, rolling her eyes. She pulls away from Yarick, gently adjusting the crown on her head and then running her fingers through her curls.

"I am her niece, and she stated afterward she did not want to hurt me." That was certainly different from the way he was raised. The covert said if you didn't come back with a few bruises and cuts that you weren't fighting hard enough, as if they didn't want to win, so usually, Din did come back with multiple bruises, and once, an almost fracture rib. Thank the Maker for bacta though.

"Illana!" Amalas calls out, and the maidservant looks up from fixing a little girl's braids. "Please take the children back inside and get them cleaned up and settled. I will be meeting my aunt at the landing platform."

"Right away, Your Majesty!" Illana calls back, then starts rounding up the kids calmly. They all look a bit down at that, but then Illana says something and they all immediately perk up.

"I should go get the kid and we can stay in the room while you do whatever-"

"You are coming with me, Mando." Her hand finds his bicep quickly and she starts steering him in the direction of the landing platform with unusual strength and ease. To be honest, he's a little turned on with that.

"But-"

"He will be fine."

"He's-"

"He will be fine. He will have guards with him at all times, okay? I promise." He bit his bottom lip, looking over his shoulder to see Illana guiding all the kids towards the palace, Grogu following obediently, which to him, is a surprise. Din supposed, though, that he would have to trust the servant because Amalas's grip on his arm never ceased as they walked to the platform.

She let go once she realized he wasn't going to leave, and instead folded her hands over each other in front of her. Yarick and Din walk in line together behind her, and Din realizes then that he may be tall, but this captain had about five inches on him. Not to mention he was pretty much a block of muscle, too. If they got in a fight, he would probably just run into Yarick and be thrown back like he hit a wall.

Din honestly wanted to test that out.

"So, Your Majesty, how was the springs last night?"

Din's head snapped to look over at Yarick, but the captain was straight-faced, facing forward with no emotion on his face or in his eyes. He hears Amalas let out an amused huff under her breath.

"They were perfect, thank you for asking. I had a _lovely_ time."

Heat pools in his stomach and dear Maker, he wants to bolt the other direction and lock himself in their room. Did Yarick know what happened? Like sure, he was her captain, but he didn't think they were _that_ close. _Just how close are they?_

"Did you now?" Yarick muses. "After your week, I'm sure it was nice to decompress."

"Yes, it felt amazing to decompress. Relieved a lot of built up _tension,_ if you know what I mean." Din glares at both of them through his visor, hoping that they feel it since they can't see it. He almost wanted to bolt the other way.

Thankfully, the rest of the walk to the platform is quiet, leaving Din alone with his painful thoughts.

They arrive at the platform just as they see a ship enter the atmosphere, circling around the city before coming around the palace and landing slowly and carefully on the platform, its landing procedures engaging slowly. Din almost wishes he had his cape, but whatever at this point in his life. The ramp lowers, touching down on the ground before Bo-Katan and her two teammates begin their descent down. They wear their helmets until they're in front of Amalas, pulling them off to smile at her.

"Your Majesty." The two Mandalorians behind Bo-Katan say, bowing respectfully. Amalas gives them a nod in respect back before embracing Bo-Katan, who returns the embrace happily, rubbing her back with her gloved hand.

"Oh, it's good to see a sweet face after all these months. I'm sorry I haven't been in contact with you recently." Amalas chuckles, shaking her head as they pull away, her hand resting on her forearm. "I like the crown."

"Heh, thank you. Do not worry about me, I know you have been busy with your..." Amalas pauses for a millisecond, as if trying to think of a word without sounding rude. "Endeavor. Anyhow, was your trip okay?"

"Yes, it was-" Bo-Katan cuts herself off as she notices Din, her eyebrows furrowing in question, her eyes lighting up with fire. "Why is _he_ here?"

"Nice to see you, too." Din gruffly says.

"Ahsoka said she told you to go to Tython. Why are you here?" She steps in front of Amalas, in almost a defensive way, resulting with Amalas visibly rolling her eyes as the other two follow.

"I did go to Tython." He replies slowly, as if he was talking to his kid. "The kid was able to call for a Jedi, and she answered." He gestures to Amalas with his hand, and Bo-Katan whirls around to look at her, incredulous.

"You answered? Why in the galaxy would you answer a call for him?"

"The only other Jedi in the galaxy is Ahsoka and _him._ Would you have liked me to give the child over to that man? Knowing his heritage?" She gives a pointed look at Bo-Katan.

If question marks could be visible, they'd be floating around Din's head. Who were they talking about? Was this other Jedi an actual enemy, he wondered? If so, he was glad that Amalas answered the call instead.

"He was raised as a child of the Watch, you should know. He's a cultist-" Amalas raises her hand quickly, cutting her aunt off before she can say anything more. Din was so used to being the one coming to the rescue, that it was hard to process having someone else stand up for him, and having Amalas handle the situations so far was a lot to process.

"He can believe anything he wants, Aunt Bo. And as long as you are on my soil, you will not disrespect anyone else while you are here. Is that clear?"

"You cannot be serious-"

The weapon was in Amalas's hand in a blink of an eye, and the black blade of the Darksaber made a terrifying shadow across her face. Bo-Katan and the other two Mandalorians step away in shock, their hands reflexively going to their guns. Din copies, but not from intimidation from Amalas. No, he set his hand on his blaster in case they decided to pull a quick one on Amalas. Even Yarick got defensive, his grip tightening on his spear as his stance adjusted ever so slightly.

Amalas slides the blade away from her face, the saber humming as it moved.

"How... How did you..."

"When I answered the call, I arrived on Tython to see nothing but stormtrooper bodies and ship wreckage. I reached out into the Force to try to figure out the story." Amalas twirls the saber in her hand with practiced ease, her face blank as she recalls the story. "Moff Gideon took his child, leading to a rescue. I helped him and his allies to get him back, getting this back in the process. You do not have to worry about Gideon anymore, either." The memory of her saber against Gideon's neck flashes through his mind, the brief moment of darkness that passed over them before she killed him.

_I am no Jedi._

Bo-Katan stares at the saber, different types of emotions flashing across her face in a matter of seconds.

"This _is_ what you have been looking for, no? After you lost it again."

"I didn't lose it." Bo-Katan snaps, irritation flooding her tone. Amalas tilts her head, raising her eyebrow, and Bo-Katan looks startled at her own tone. "It was taken from me."

"Hm." Is Amalas's reply. Din is pretty sure Amalas doesn't believe her.

"I... The ritual... I can't-"

"The arena is already being prepped. We will duel this evening." The saber powers down, and while still staring at Bo-Katan, she speaks to Yarick. "Captain, please take them to their rooms to get settled before this evening. Mando, will you join me?" But she turns and already starts walking back towards the palace without waiting for his response. Wordlessly, Din follows her, a bit of smugness flooding his system. Bo-Katan was _okay._ He admired her since she had years on him in terms of battle, so she was a great fighter, but she was almost too zealous to take back Mandalore. He understood that it was her home, the place she grew up on, but damn, that place was meant to be destroyed by the Death Stars. Of course, though, that's what he was led to believe growing up in the covert. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"I apologize, again," Amalas sighs, "on behalf of my aunt. She may be a good warrior, but she is brash and quick to make a decision, whether it be good or bad."

"You don't have to apologize for anything." He says. "I respect Bo-Katan as a fighter, not... Not so much as person right now." Amalas slows her pace down a bit as she calms down, and they set a matched walk together.

"I do not see why she is so offended that you were raised in the Watch when she for many years was part of the same group."

"She was?"

"Yes. It was before the end of the Clone Wars, before the Watch broke off and were set in their ways of never showing their faces. Bo-Katan left the group and created her own organization. Then the Great Purge happened..." She waves her hand. "So on and so forth."

"She's a hypocrite, then."

"Yes. But she regrets what she did in her Death Watch days. Unfortunately, does not erase her terrorist past."

"I don't know if I want to leave this planet or stay." Amalas laughs, and he smiles under his mask. "No offense. I appreciate... I appreciate everything that you have done for us, so..."

"No, it is okay. I understand." She chuckles, turning her head to look at him. "Din, despite those sayings of "the past is in the past", those sayings are never true. The past has effected the entire galaxy as we know it today. Every action we do now will have an effect on the future. Just this discussion alone will have an impact." Din goes quiet at that, silently agreeing with her. When he made the decision to go and get Grogu back from the imps, he knew that their future would be impacted largely. After all, he was walking down the hallway with the woman he just had sex with the previous night, not to mention the promise she made to train Grogu.

"Right." He mumbles under his breath.

They walk in silence for a few minutes before she glances over at him.

"Din."

"Please stop reading my feelings."

"Sorry, you keep projecting. Um... May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you regret last night?"

Din stops in his tracks, and it takes Amalas a few steps to realize he was no longer walking beside her. She turns to him, raising her eyebrow.

"Did you actually just ask me that question?"

"Yes."

"Amalas, you can't be serious."

"I am. Do you regret last night?"

"Amalas, last night was possibly the best night I've ever had. I..." He balls his fists, really feeling like punching something, but the wall was the only thing available. "I've never had... I've never had anything like that before, and so it was so sudden... You have been courting me since we met, Amalas, I just... It was a lot to handle on top of these past few days. And I... When I entered that subspace, that was the best thing and..." He inhales a shuddering breath, and leans against the wall almost weakly.

Amalas just watches and listens, the saber still in her hand. Din wonders if a saber through the stomach would be less painful than this conversation.

"I know I probably sound like a hypocrite since I just said I want to take things slow, but-" He cuts himself off with a groan of frustration and turns around, placing his helmet against the wall with a soft thunk, hoping the beskar didn't make a dent. He hears a quiet sigh from Amalas, and he hopes he didn't make her annoyed, but instead, he feels her arm wrap around his wrist. He has no choice but to follow. She pulls him until they reach a small door to the right, where she opens it with a small wave of her hands, then shoves him inside. Din catches himself on a small table and realizes it's a small closet, a little bit smaller than his fresher upstairs. He turns around just in time to see her shutting the door, and he hears a quiet _click,_ before she sets the saber down on a table next to her, staring at him with predatory eyes.

Before Din can say anything, Amalas presses her hand against his chest and pushes him back until he hits the wall with a soft thud, then her hand comes up and takes off his helmet, pressing her lips to his before he can protest. Din melts against her, hearing his helmet fall to the ground with a thud before her arms are around his neck, her right hand pressing against his neck, the left hand clenched in his shirt. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close as they kiss.

Din isn't sure why he didn't notice last night, maybe because of the heat of the moment, but her waist was so small and petite, not that he expected anything less of a woman like her. How could a woman be so strong and agile but so feminine and petite? Because of her species?

Her lips are soft against his, and she moves with expertise against him. He tries to keep up, mimicking her movements as best as he can. He wonders, distantly, if he put his hands on her waist, would his thumbs touch? Oh, Maker, he might want to test that theory.

Amalas slightly pulls away from him and he chases after her lips, only to gasp as her fingers fist the curls in his hair, holding his head in place as she mumbles against his lips breathlessly: "We are taking it slow from here on out." Din lets out a quiet whimper at that, looking at her with furrowed eyebrows, an almost concerned expression in his eyes.

"W-What-" She kisses him again, cutting him off before pulling away, making him groan from the tease.

"We can do whatever you would like to do, on one condition."

"W-What's that?"

"We take it slow. We get to know each other, we court each other, but no bedroom stuff until we are at that point in our relationship, okay? Sound good?" He lets out what sounds like a mix between a whimper and whine, but nods anyway, still focused on her lips.

"Okay, yes, just kiss me." He mumbles, his voice raspy and deep, and he feels her actually shiver at that. She grants him his wish, pulling him in for another long passionate kiss. His body feels like it's on fire, and as his hands settle on her lower back where it was exposed, her skin is so warm he can feel the warmth through his gloves. He fumbles behind her to get them off, throwing them to the ground, then laid his bare hands on her lower waist above her hips, and she let out a gasp against his mouth, making him swallow it greedily, tugging her as close as he can to him. Then he steps forward, making her back up in surprise and promptly switches their positions so he has her pinned instead. Amalas elicits a gasp at the action and she basically melts against him, not even caring about the armor in the way. Keeping his left arm around her waist, he slowly slides his hand down her side to her hip, moving his lips from hers to her jaw, kissing along it, placing a loving kiss to her cheek before moving down to the left side of her neck. Her left hand comes down to move the hair away and he happily hums at the action, kissing against the soft, unmarked flesh gently as his right hand explores her curves. She seems to enjoy the touch, making him smirk proudly against her neck. Good, if she can react just by his touches, then he'd have a blast with this situation... 

"Fuck, Amalas..." He mutters, his voice hoarse from well... Everything. Arousal, the natural tone of his voice, not to mention from last night. All of that adds to it and Din can feel her chest heaving against his as she struggles to compose herself, and at the sound of his voice, she lets out a stuttered moan.

Din doesn't give her a moment of relief. Din slides his hand further down, then changes direction to the back and slides his fingers beneath the layers of her dress. The fabric was thicker up here for coverage, but it didn't stop from the seductive feature of the dress. His hand comes to a stop and he gives a squeeze, making her let out a strangled moan at that, and she seems to push into his touch. He grins, gently sliding his teeth against her neck, not hard enough to mark her, but Maker, he so wants to give her a big bruise on the side of her neck, so everyone knew what they were doing. The thought makes him let out a moan, and he huffs against her skin with a pout.

"Amalas, you have no idea what you do to me." He mumbles, and she manages a breathy giggle that's music to his unfiltered ears.

"Well, I have an idea of what you are doing to me-" He cuts her off with a kiss, and Din feels her actually smirk against his lips, so he quickly makes it fade with a few quick movements. Din slides his arm away from her waist, then slides his other hand away from her ass. Then he parts from her lips for a minute to wrap his forearms underneath her thighs and hoists her up. Amalas matches his movements, wrapping her legs securely around his waist with her arms holding onto the back of his shirt next to his back armor. Her curls fall around her head as she looks down at him, and Maker, he feels like he's looking at a goddess from the legends of old with the way an occasional light ray catches her features, lighting up her gold markings or her red hair, the flower crown adding that sweet beautiful touch.

"You're gorgeous." He says breathlessly. "So gorgeous..." Amalas bites her lower lip and she slowly slides her hands from his back to cup his face, and he lets his head relax into her touch. Her thumbs gently graze along his scruff line as she studies his features.

"You are handsome..." Din lets out a breathy sigh at that and he's about to kiss her again before a quiet beeping catches both their attentions. He looks to his right as she pulls her right hand away from him and he notices a little red light blinking from the inside of the bracelet on her wrist. She gives him an apologetic look, composing herself before answering. But Din smiles deviously, getting a very good idea in his head. He moves his head down to kiss at her neck quietly, making her stiffen against her.

"Yes?"

_"My Lady, lunch is ready."_

"T-Thank you, Willa, I will be there soon."

 _"Are you okay, Your Majesty? You sound breathless."_ He gently bites down, making her bite down on her lip hard to hide the sound that built up in her throat. He lets go and she swallows, replying evenly, unfortunately.

"Yes, I am fine. I ran up the stairs, that is all."

 _"Okay... If you say so."_ He hears a quiet giggle before the line cuts out and she slaps his pauldron lightly, making him laugh and pull away from his neck.

"You are a horrible man." She hisses.

"You loved it." He coos, and her face flushes darker. "Heh, knew it." Din lays a soft kiss on her lips, and she sighs against him, the anger diminished. They gently pull away from each other and she cups his face once more, her eyes flicking over his features. She gently runs her index finger down from the middle of his eyebrows down his nose, lightly tapping the tip of his nose softly. She leans in, brushing her lips over his lips teasingly, making him groan. He goes after her, but then she pulls away, smirking at his irritated face that he makes.

"Slow, remember?" She purrs. He frowns at her, narrowing his eyes at her. "I can see your expressions."

"I know."

"Stop making that face at me."

"No." Amalas taps at his nose again, giving him a pointed look. He grumbles under his breath before gently setting her back down. Amalas smiles at him, adjusting her clothes and hair to make herself presentable, then gives him a kiss on the cheek, grabs the saber from the table, and leaves.

Din leans against the wall, putting his face in his hands and groaning.

"She's going to kill me."

* * *

Thankfully, Grogu was at lunch, so he kept Din occupied while Amalas acted like nothing happened. Lunch was quiet, an occasional messenger coming in to hand Amalas something, but otherwise, nothing exciting. Din was surprised that Bo-Katan wasn't at lunch with them. He figured she would be, but then he thought that Amalas probably didn't want to be polishing blood off the floor of the dining hall either. A maidservant had said they placed his food aside, making Din's heart warm.

Maybe this planet wouldn't be so bad.

Din and Grogu went back to their room, Din ate his lunch, then they sort of just... Actually relaxed. Well, Grogu relaxed, he started polishing his spear and jetpack, and actually kind of straightened up the room. The bed had been made when they got there and the dishes from this morning was gone, but still, Din wanted to make the room a bit more homely if they were going to be staying long. He also made a mental note to ask Amalas about the armor and clothing thing, because having someone come in the room at night was too risky while he was still on the fence on what he wanted to do. He hoped she'd understand.

Then evening came, a guard knocking on their door to escort them to the arena. Din looks over at a sleepy Grogu, smiling at the look on his face. Quietly, Din hopes he'd sleep tonight, and just maybe the fight would wear him down. Oh boy. Grogu looks up at him curiously as he approaches, lifting his hands up to him.

"Alright, kid, let's go."

Din picks him up, gently settling him in his arm before following the guard down the hall and to the main foyer of the palace. They leave the palace, going out the double doors and coming out to a beautiful entrance with steps and railings heading into the city, and he's surprised that there's very little security surrounding the palace. There's no gates, fences, or any security droids. A few guards were at strategic posts, but other than that, there was nothing else around the place. Din guessed that if you're a happy and neutral planet, there was no reason to have that kind of security. The guard leads them to a high-end speeder bike that would break Din's pocket if he had even thought about buying a speeder like this one, and the speeder took them down a road heading into the forest. His grip slightly tightens on Grogu as they enter the new area, worry and paranoia spiking. He keeps a lookout, just in case, and he even grabbed his jetpack and staff as an extra precaution. He may be on a neutral planet, but that doesn't stop him from being cautious, especially with his history.

The road is long but lit up brightly with gorgeous gold metaled lights, and the path is made out of pale tan stone. Eventually, the arena comes into view, and Din is taken back by the architecture.

The arena is large and round like a circle, lights flashing in the sky from inside. He can even distantly hear the cheering going on. The arena is made out of beautiful sand colored stone with intricate engravings in its pillars that wrap around the whole building. In the whole galaxy, he'd never seen something like this before. The architecture was quite different here than the rest of the universe, and Din wondered if it was because they were closed off from everyone else that they were like this.

The guard leads him inside, cutting right across the hallway to a lift that takes them to the top floor. The door slides open with familiarity, finally, and the guard gives him a respectful nod.

"This is your viewing box. Enjoy the duel." And then leaves to his post. Din and Grogu exchange looks before he walks to the window to see a grand stadium set up for the duel. Thousands of people fill the seats, cheering and talking excitedly. The viewing box he was in was probably reserved for the high officials like the council and the royals, so he felt a bit out of place standing in it like this. The room was long, with several leisure couches and small tables set up throughout the room with holoTVs set up on the walls opposite of the viewing windows. The carpet is dark red but the walls are light blue, contrasting the red rather well. 

"Oh, it's you." Din turns his head to look in the direction of the voice, finding the other two Mandalorians about ten feet away from him, their helmets perched on the ledge as they leaned against the wall.

Din says nothing, instead gently setting Grogu on the ledge, who looks around the stadium with wide eyes. He turns his head slowly to look up at him.

"Sit down and don't move too much, okay?" He coos softly in agreement, sitting on the ledge like some type of bird. Din stands straight, folding his arms across his chest as he takes in the place. He notices that people even have snacks to munch on, a few people in the front row waving small flags with some sort of crest on the material, but the waving makes the crest distorted.

Captain Yarick appears on the floor, and the audience cheers loudly at the sight of him as he walks to the middle of the floor, clasping his hands together as he surveys the audience. They slowly quiet and then he extends his arms out, turning as the audience cheers once more, and Din raises his eyebrow. Hm. For a neutral, peace loving planet, they sure seem to like violence, especially when it involved their own queen. What was up with that?

Yarick's voice booms as he speaks, and Din wonders if it's a voice enhancer he has in his helmet. 

"People of Stewjon! Welcome to the Duel of the Fates!" The audience practically screams the cheers this time, and when he looks, he notices that Grogu seems bothered by the loudness.

"Sorry, kid." Din says quietly. "You okay?" Grogu coos at him, and he gently lays his hand on top of his head in hopefully a comforting manner. He'd heard explosions and stuff before, so he wondered if the noise of the people made a different frequency that he wasn't hearing. He still didn't quite understand his kid's species, but he hoped that within time he could learn. Right now, though, he hoped Grogu wasn't too upset with the noise. He wasn't crying, he just looked uncomfortable.

"We have a very special show for you all tonight, just four weeks before our beloved Liberty Festival!" The audience claps and whistles, before quieting to let him speak. "Now, we all know that our beloved queen, Queen Amalas, is a Jedi. We know that her father was an outstanding general in the Jedi Order during the time of the High Republic, and that her mother was the Duchess of one of our closest allies, Mandalore the Great. Her father was our prince, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was raised in the Jedi Order from a very young age."

"Great history lesson." What was her name again? Reeves? Koska Reeves, right? She yawns while the man looks bemused, but honestly, Din is kind of happy for the background. He guessed that if you served alongside the Jedi, then you wouldn't be as fascinated.

"Our brave queen made a daring rescue recently to help a Mandalorian, and returned with the legendary Darksaber!" The crowd makes an "ooh" noise in sync, a few hundred or so actually putting their hands over their mouths. "This Darksaber has a long history that I will not get into now. However, Mandalorian law requires that if the holder of the saber is challenged for their throne, the challenger and the one seated upon the throne must duel. It's a old ritual, but it remains in tact to this day."

"And you guys called me the cultist." Din comments before he can think. The two Mandalorians straighten, looking at him with a piercing gaze.

He simply waves them off.

"Don't bother. Not right now, anyway." The two look at each other before going back to their positions, stiffer than they were before. Din smirks under his helm. He has a strange urge to fight them, but he decides maybe later. He knows what they were capable of, and he wantes to test those skills again, this time as his opponent instead of his ally. 

"Lady Bo-Katan of House Kryze, the sister of Satine Kryze, has challenged Queen Amalas to this duel. Whoever wins this duel will be crowned the rightful ruler of the Mandalore with the Darksaber."

Grogu coos up at him, and Din nods.

"I know you're worried, but she's a Jedi. She'll be fine." The kid gives him what looks like an unsure expression before slowly turning back as doors on their right side begin to open.

"Now, may I present to you, Lady Bo-Katan Kryze of Mandalore!"

Bo-Katan steps out of the doors, in her full Mandalorian armor, but instead of her blasters, she's carrying a shield and sword made out of pure beskar. Made sense, since she was fighting a Jedi, and considering the fact that Stewjon was apparently allies with Mandalore, it made sense that Stewjon would have beskar as well. Maybe gifts or something like that?

"And I present to you, Queen Amalas Kenobi of Stewjon!"

And on their left, the doors slide open. The familiar black glow of the Darksaber ignites in the dark, followed by the white glow of her own saber. Amalas steps out from her side, and the crowd seems to just lose it. He even sees a few men and women faint into their fellow Stewjoni's arms. Din didn't blame them. He knew how to make entrances, but a Jedi? Forget it. She one-upped him with just that ignite of the saber.

She's dressed in Jedi robes again, but these aren't the ones she wore last time. They're completely black, more fitting to her figure than the other robes, and Maker, does she look amazing. Her hair is in a braided bun, and she wears no expression save for a small smile on her lips as she walks to the middle of the arena, facing off with Bo-Katan, who stood about seven feet away from her.

Yarick takes a few steps back, bowing deeply before turning and walking into an opposite set of doors from where he came, disappearing as the doors shut behind him.

The arena goes dead silent as the tension builds, before a loud gong sounds, and the fight commences.

Amalas had said she was only going to fight at half strength, so her speed and agility was slightly slower than what he'd seen on Gideon's ship, and she was able to match the speed of an average human.

The sabers met beskar with that rather satisfying noise, Amalas's bare muscles flexing at the weight she put on the attack. And just a few hours ago she was wearing a flower crown, looking like some sort of floral goddess, and now she was in all black robes with deadly laser swords that could cut you in half easily, fighting her own aunt.

Well, get you a woman who can do both, he guessed.

"Oh, good, she did end up putting you in this box." He turns to see Yarick coming in, giving him a respectful nod. Yarick returns it, coming to stand next to him. Din turns his attention back to the fight, watching as they spar in a frenzy of black and white on silver metal. It's mesmerizing in a way, watching a Jedi fight. As a child, growing up he never really listened to the stories of the old Mandalore and the Jedi, and now he wished he had. The fight against Gideon was amusing to watch, but Gideon wasn't really trained to handle a saber, Din realized. If he had been, he'd probably put up more of a fight and wouldn't have died so quickly. Din wondered what she would be like against another fully trained Jedi. Maybe Ahsoka? Or this other Jedi she mentioned earlier on the platform, perhaps?

Bo-Katan, on the other hand, was a seasoned warrior with a long history of wars and battles that she had fought in, not to mention being a Mandalorian, so she knew how to fight a Jedi in the first place. Then there was Amalas, who said she'd been training since she was a year old, and he believed her. He remembered the way she had easily pulled those TIE fighters off their mounts with just a simple movement, causing chaos once they unlatched, and shivered at the thought of this morning with Rowan. The fact that with just a simple thought, a whole human could succumb to that kind of power was terrifying. 

Yarick humming in amusement makes him come out of his thoughts, however, so he looks over at him curiously.

"Hm, this is interesting."

"What is?"

"Amalas is only using half of her power."

"That's what she said earlier. Doesn't look like half to me."

"Oh, trust me, it is."

"What does she usually fight at?"

"Hmm... About seventy-percent, I think. But she normally adjusts it when she's fighting different enemies, so it all depends on the quantity of the enemy, and the skill of the enemy, as well. Battle droids on a field? Easy ten percent. Against another Jedi? Probably eighty, but never has been tested."

"Have you ever seen her use one-hundred percent?" Yarick raises his eyebrow slightly as he thinks before his lips twitch at the thought.

"No. But I imagine it to be quite terrifying. Amalas is very strong in the Force. Any time she uses it is terrifying regardless of what she's doing." Din slowly turns his head back to return to the fight with that sentence lingering in his head, hoping Yarick didn't hear his noise of worry. 

The two hop back from each other, circling each other like two predators fighting. Amalas twirls her white lightsaber in her hand nonchalantly as she carefully analyzes her opponent, flashing her an irritating yet pretty smile.

"You know." Her voice is clear and loud so the whole arena can hear her, steady and smooth as she speaks. "I figured you would be fighting a bit more harder than this, Auntie. After all, you do want this, right?" She twirls the Darksaber pointedly, letting it hum as if it was teasing her, and Bo-Katan's body seems to stiffen. Yarick lets out a slight chuckle.

"What?" Din asks. "What's she doing?"

"Psychological warfare." Yarick comments, crossing his arms over his chest. "Amalas uses facts she knows about her opponent and makes them question themselves, leaving them vulnerable to their fears, and if they fall for it, they became so enraged that they tend to lose concentration. Amalas is using the fact that since Bo-Katan has been after the saber for this long, only for it to fall into Amalas's possession, she knows that Bo-Katan is insecure about it."

"Did the Jedi teach her that, too?"

"Oh, no, Amalas came up with that on her own." A slight chill runs up his back at the sentence. Okay, so her intelligence extended far beyond what he had thought normally. Cool, cool, no reason to internally panic. He must be mad that he was this attracted to her, and considering the fact they were going to try to _court_ each other? Oh, forget it. He's insane.

Din swallows quietly and turns his attention back to the fight.

Amalas lunges with unusual speed, twirling both sabers until they met beskar, the sound echoing with the arena's tall walls. The heat from both lightsabers made the beskar start to turn red, heating it up to Din's surprise. Bo-Katan pushed against Amalas, forcing her to back off. Amalas grins, an unusual happy glint in her eye as they circle once more.

"You tired, Auntie?" Bo-Katan lets out a war-cry at that, beginning a barrage of attacks on Amalas. She blocks them easily, deflecting the sword's swings with her left saber, maneuvering her hand to match the strikes that are being rained down on her. Bo-Katan continues for a few minutes before finally getting tired, her attacks getting slower until she backs off, her body heaving as she breathes heavily. Amalas is unaffected, simply matching the stalk that Bo-Katan begins, her right lightsaber on her belt gently banging against her hip with her movements.

Din wants to bite his nails off as the anticipation grows. The crowd is silent, watching intensely without a sound as they consider each other.

"Well?" Amalas says finally, stretching her arm out in front of her to point the Darksaber at her. "Come get it."

Bo-Katan drops the sword and shield quickly, throwing them to the sides to take out her blasters, abandoning all reason and rationality. 

"There we go!" Amalas laughs. "That's more like it!"

Amalas dodges several shots before Bo-Katan takes to the skies. She adjusts her wrist and sends several missiles down at her, Amalas using the Force to aid in a large leap to the left. Din hears a quiet beep next to him before different platforms appear in the air, the audience cheering at that. The platforms hover at different heights, and Amalas immediately jumps onto the nearest one, the sabers deactivating for a brief moment as she moves fluidly on the platforms. She deflects a blaster bolt with her left saber as she reaches a middle platform, where the two face off at even airspace. Then with a large leap, Amalas lunges and tackles Bo-Katan, sending them both into the ground, rolling away from each other once they hit. Amalas pushes herself up off the ground, her sabers still in her hands, even after the fall. Bo-Katan's fall had actually thrown off her helmet, which was surprising, and she slowly pushed herself up off the floor. Her blasters had been knocked away from her, and the nearest thing was the beskar shield.

Bo-Katan grabbed it just in time to block a frenzy of lightsaber and Darksaber attacks. The sight was worrying, and to Din's own surprise, he was actually worried about Bo-Katan. Considering the fact that a lightsaber could cut through solid steel, he couldn't imagine what it would do to a person's body.

Amalas backs off, but only for a brief moment, then she's pushing all her weight and strength down on the shield, pressing her sabers down hard on the beskar. The white and black look quite stunning against the silver metal despite the circumstances.

The metal darkens to a deep red, and then a splitting _crack_ resonates through the arena, the arena going dead quiet. Din grips the ledge tightly, staring in shock as the beskar splits down the middle before shattering. Amalas hops away, Bo-Katan falling down on her back. She rolls onto her side, struggling to get up. He notices a hologram countdown pop up from ten seconds, beginning to count down as Amalas stands over her, the sabers stretched out to her sides. A shadow is over her face, and Maker, just like on Gideon's ship, he feels slight fear at the sight. To think this was the same woman he had pinned against the wall just hours ago!

_Two sides of every credit._

"I thought beskar was lightsaber proof." He whispers in almost horror at the sight.

"Lightsaber _resistant,_ not proof. It can withstand multiple blows from a saber, but eventually, it does heat up the metal enough to break it, especially when there are two."

Din stares in stunned silence at Yarick before turning back to look at Amalas, the countdown reaching five. Then he hears jetpacks, and looks over to see the other two launching out of the viewing box down to the arena floor.

"Hey-"

"Let them." Yarick says, cutting him off. "Amalas figured something like this might happen."

Reeves and Woves land and the countdown stops, vanishing as the two take Bo-Katan's place. Reeves gently helps Bo-Katan up, and the older Mandalorian leans against the wall to compose herself.

They set to firing at her, and she blocks the bolts with practiced maneuvers. Din can't help it. He leans closer, his body tightening with tension, and he's ready to fly out there himself to aid Amalas in her fight, and he's about to do it, but Yarick seems to know what he's thinking.

"That's half her strength?" Din asks, almost letting his surprise overpower his voice. "She could take out a whole army by herself with half strength."

"I mean, yes, she can. She's proved it. But remember, she needs to lose." Yarick raises his eyebrows pointedly, then turns back to the fight.

Oh.

_Oh._

The three had created a triangle around Amalas, firing at her until she was surrounded.

"Now!" Bo-Katan yells. The three launch their wires, Woves and Reeves' cables wrapping around her wrists to hold her hands away from each other and prevent her from cutting the cables. Bo-Katan's cable wraps around her knees, and they struggle to hold their position as Amalas fights against them, and to his surprise, her sabers deactivate. Din figures that the cables are cutting circulation from her wrists, because she's struggling to hold her stance. The cable is tightening around her knees, slowly beginning to make them buckle under the action. They tug harder, tightening the cables until her knees give out, and she falls to a kneeling position. The three immediately dogpile her, Bo-Katan pinning her wrists to the ground, the other two holding the rest of her body down.

And just like that, the saber flies from Amalas's hold, sliding away before hitting the wall.

The countdown begins, and the whole audience goes silent in anticipation.

Grogu coos softly at him in concern, but the sound is almost drowned out by the blood roaring in his ears. There was no way that a Jedi would deliberately lose, right? Sure, he knows that Amalas wouldn't be able to rule over two planets, but it seemed a little odd to him that she would just... Lose. Especially to three Mandalorians.

_She needs to lose._

The countdown reaches zero.

Bo-Katan was now the owner of the Darksaber.

Slowly, the three get off Amalas, their movements tired. Amalas stands, brushing off the dust from her clothes, before rolling her wrists as she faces the others.

It's so quiet that you could hear a pin drop before Bo-Katan manages to limp over to where the saber lay, reaching down and picking it up with a slight struggle. She straightens, adjusting the grip before turning it on, looking at it with a distant expression.

Din looks over to his side to look at Yarick, but the captain is gone. Din looks around, worried, before Grogu tugging on his arm catches his attention again. He returns to look down at them, watching as Amalas approaches Bo-Katan, eyeing the saber in her hand.

Then, Amalas kneels, folding her left leg below her while bending her other knee up. She lays her arm across her thigh, and bows her head. Reeves and Woves copy the action, and before he knows it, the whole audience is copying the kneel.

_"All hail Duchess Bo-Katan Kryze of Mandalore!"_


	8. "I won't let anyone take you away from me."

They threw a feast after the fight to celebrate the new duchess. They celebrated for a short time with the people before heading off to a banquet room, where the council members, some seemingly close personal friends of Amalas's and a few guards mingled. Bo-Katan and Amalas were checked over for any major injuries, given some bacta for some sped up healing, and sent on their way it seemed, because they weren't gone for too long before coming back. While Amalas disappeared in a sea of people, Din hung out towards the back of the room, Grogu standing close to his boot, one hand on the ammo band while he looked around the room, clearly smelling the food that was being prepared. Din watches him, his head craned down to stare down at his kid. Occasionally, Grogu looks up at him with wide eyes, pointing at something before returning to stare at it. It was a little amusing, and Din couldn't help but smile happily at him.

Din doesn't notice Bo-Katan until she speaks, _almost_ startling him.

"How did you enjoy the fight?" He raises his eyebrow at her, knowing she can't see his face but it doesn't stop him from it, and he glances down at her arm that was currently being cradled in a sling. Other than that, she had a few scrapes and scratches from being tackled into the sand, and that was about it. Din was sure her body was sore as well, but that wasn't as evident as her other injuries.

"It was impressive. Didn't think three Mandalorians could take a Jedi."

"Oh, please, if you thought that was a struggle, you should see her against a full battalion. We used the same tactic on Ahsoka many years ago, and that was with a large group, and she still managed to escape. But then again, we had kidnapped her so Ahsoka was using full strength..."

"You kidnapped... Ahsoka? I thought you two were friends?"

"How else did you think we met?"

"Good point." He mumbles gruffly. Bo-Katan smiles, gently leaning against the wall, letting out a relieved sigh at the pressure being slightly released. She watches Amalas across the room as she talks to Yarick, a screen in her hand.

"Amalas... Amalas is one of a kind." She suddenly says out loud, as if it was a thought she was meant to keep to herself. Din resists the laugh that builds in his throat, looking over at her quietly instead, furrowing his eyebrows.

"What was she like during the Clone Wars? She's... Told me some things, but from an outsider's viewpoint, what was she like?" Bo-Katan keeps her gaze on her niece, quiet for a few minutes before inhaling. Din didn't think it was that difficult to describe a young Amalas, but apparently, it was.

The word though was not what he was expecting.

"Terrifying." Din looks over at her slowly, almost wanting her to repeat that.

"She was a kid."

"A _powerful_ kid." Bo-Katan corrects, giving him a pointed look. "She may not have grown up in the Jedi Order or around other Jedi, but she was still quite powerful when I met her. She knew tricks that not even the Jedi knew existed."

"How was she so strong?"

"This planet," she makes a gesture around the room even though they're inside, "is strong with the Force. I believe there is an old Jedi Temple here as well."

"That's why she knows so much."

"Yes. And she's... Well, she told me what happened today at the conference. To be honest, I'm surprised she let him live."

"She... She usually uses her hand for the Force, but today..."

"That's how the Force works." She says, raising her eyebrow questioningly. "They concentrate on the Force with their minds. They just use their hands as a guide."

A pool of heat mixed with fear and arousal hits his stomach, and god, hearing that sentence for some reason makes his body warm up to the point where he starts to sweat.

"So... In other words, she can kill a person with a single thought."

"Pretty much." Din doesn't say anything in response to that as his mind processes the sentence. They stand in silence, watching as people come to talk to Amalas, the conversations short and brief but apparently to the point because they walk away looking satisfied. Her words from last night come back to him, making his body break out with bumps and he resists the shiver that attempted to crawl up his spine.

_Perfect for me, and only me._

He wonders how she'd react if he told her those same words... _Oh boy, don't get lost in thought now..._

"Mando. Can I ask you to do a favor for me?"

"We barely know each other." He grumbles, his attention still on Amalas as she talks to a young pregnant woman. Her sabers hang from her belt, and she has her hand gently laying on the woman's forearm in a comforting manner as she listens to whatever the woman is saying. One arm is over her really round belly, the other supporting it below. The woman looks worried, and Amalas listens with a concentrated furrow to her eyebrow.

"I know... And it's personal, but..." She inhales, struggling to say whatever it is. "I would like for you to watch over Amalas for me." He turns his head to her, crossing his arms, raising his eyebrow. He hears Grogu coo softly below him.

"And why do I need to do that? She's a queen with a close captain with dozens of staff, not to mention she is a Jedi. I don't think she needs watching over."

"Amalas... Trusts you. I have no idea why, but she clearly does." He grunts. "Amalas tends to be reckless despite acting collected all the time, but she sometimes lets her emotions get the best of her. And with the anniversaries of her parents' deaths coming up, I want to make sure she has someone in her corner."

It was a strange request, that was for sure. He'd had strange bounties, sure, but at the mention of her parents' deaths, Din looks over at Amalas as she talks gently to the woman, then she smiles and lays her hand on her belly, saying something that makes the woman soften. He can make out "they are fine" but that's it. The woman tears up and then opens her arms, turning to the side so Amalas can hug her gently without pressing against her belly. The sight makes his heart warm.

"I mean... I suppose I could."

"Really?"

"For a short time. Once she catches on, and she will, I'll tell her you asked me and that's it."

"Fair enough. Thank you." She pushes herself off the wall, offering her hand to him. He shakes it, nodding at her with confirmation. She smiles at him, titling her head as she rubs her stomach.

"Now, I don't know about you, since you know, the helmet, but I am starving. It is not easy taking down a Jedi." Din lets out a quiet sigh, looking down at Grogu, who coos up at him. He smiles down at him, even though he can't see it,

"You hungry?" His eyes light up and he bends down, picking him up slowly, settling him in his arm as he approaches the table. Amalas stands at the end of the left side, calling for everyone's attention. Everyone quiets almost immediately, giving her their attention, and she smiles, clasping her hands together.

"Tonight, we celebrate the new Duchess of Mandalore, Bo-Katan Kryze. Congratulations, Auntie." She picks up a glass filled with green liquid, raising it in a toast. Others copy, and he attempts to mimic it until they sip from their glasses, and he just shrugs at her, gesturing to his helmet. Amalas smiles cutely at him as she laughs quietly, making his body flush warmly. How can she act so innocent after fighting three Mandalorians with so much power and ease?

This woman was going to be the death of him, Din was sure of that.

* * *

He had _two_ drinks.

It was done in private. He drank them for some extra courage for his plan, but whatever the hell the Stewjoni drank on this planet was far too strong for an average human. Bo-Katan and her colleagues were tipsy, her colleagues a little bit more than Bo-Katan when they left, and so when it was just Amalas and him left, he had two glasses to quell a little thirst. Grogu had fell asleep after eating until he was full, so he took his chance and took his still full glass on the table and drank it, then she refilled it for him when it was empty, which he also downed.

Amalas gave him an amused look after that, but she didn't warn him. She was perfectly fine, despite having had three drinks throughout the dinner, but she was just fine, making Din wonder what the hell their alcohol was. The guards waited outside while they finished off what was left of dinner so he could eat a little bit, before they took the same speeder back to the palace. But as they rode back to the palace, he started to feel slow and drowsy, like how he usually gets after drinking, but he'd usually have to have had at least six to get a little bit tipsy. Whatever the hell that alcohol was, it was clearly potent enough to make a human tipsy enough where they couldn't walk properly. He knew how to hide it, but it definitely didn't make it easier.

And it got even more difficult when Amalas offered to walk him back to his room.

His stupid drunken mind made him say okay.

They walked in silence for some time, listening to the quiet noises Grogu made in his sleep, and a couple of times, he had to steady himself briefly before continuing as the drinks _really_ set in.

"Um..." He asks, hoping his voice wasn't shaking. "What... What the hell was in that drink?" Amalas looks over at him, giving him a full once-over before smirking to herself, making him shiver. He loved being covered in armor.

"It's a Stewjon specialty." She says, the amusement extremely evident in her voice. "Humans... Can't often have it. Halfway they're too drunk to even speak. You and Bo-Katan seem to have the highest tolerance I have ever seen." He made a rough grunt, but then he looked at her and his breath caught. Oh, he hoped she didn't get mad at him for what he was about to do...

Din laid Grogu down in his cradle, making sure he was comfortable while Amalas waited in the doorway. Then he pulled off his helmet slowly with shaking hands and set it on the armor stand. He leans against the wall for a brief second to center himself before pulling off his gloves, tossing them on the clothing chest by the wall and stand.

"Hey, you should take a shower and get in bed." Amalas's voice rings through his head, and he looks over at her to see her worried expression. "You are shaking-"

Amalas cuts herself off, because he's pretty much across the room in a split second, surprise washing over her face before it's replaced by shock as he picks her up by her thighs, making her wrap her legs and arms around him before he pushes her into the wall opposite of his door way, smashing his lips to hers. She lets out a startled gasp, her right hand grasping his curls, making him moan quietly against her. He pulls away, pushing his face into her neck, panting softly from the exertion. She smells sweet, even after the fight, and he trembles as he tightens his grip on her legs, making her gasp. Maybe if he got her riled up enough she'd release some more of those pheromones from last night to help out a little bit.

"Din, what in the galaxy-" He kisses at her throat, making her inhale a shuddering breath, pretty much making her cut herself off, gently scraping his teeth over the soft skin. His breathing is shaky, broken even, and he wants nothing more than to strip her down and take her in the hallway right then and there. He gently bites down on her neck, reveling in the whimper she lets out, before whispering with a low, husky tone to his voice:

"It's so fucking hot to think that you could kill me with a thought."

Amalas swallows thickly, her body stiffening at that, making him grin to himself devilishly. He adjusts their position gently so his hips are flush against hers, and even with the piece, she shivers at the feeling. He eyes her neck, biting his lower lip, thinking about all the bruises he could give her. Maybe just one somewhere low? Where she would be able to hide it? On the other hand, he wants to leave a nice big one on the side of her neck, where not even the highest collared shirt she

"We agreed..." She says slowly, struggling to get a bearing to herself. "That we would not do any bedroom stuff-"

"We're not in a bedroom, now are we?"

"That is shitty logic, Din."

"But we're not." He looks up at her with wide, almost pleading eyes and she narrows her eyes at him, making him pout.

"You are drunk, Din."

"Am not." He slurs in response. "Just needed... Some liquid courage."

"Put me down."

Din hesitates for a moment before sighing, gently setting her down and letting her go. She pushes him into the room and he obeys rather grudgingly, gesturing toward the fresher with a pointed look. He doesn't want to push her, but he also kinda wants to test how she is when she's mad.

"Take a shower."

"But-"

"Din."

Oh boy. He didn't have to be her partner to know when she's mad, because she glares at him coolly, and he shuffles to the bathroom as she finds some night clothes and hands it to him.

"Strip then give me your armor and clothes." He mumbles something under his breath but obeys anyway, taking the clothes and shutting the door while she waits outside patiently. It takes a bit to unclasp the armor and take it off, especially with his state, but he manages to strip down and then push it all outside, the beskar clinking when it rubbed together.

"Thank you." She calls out, and he mumbles something that sounds like "you're welcome" but by now his head is throbbing. That stuff works fast, he has to admit. Din looks up to look at himself in the mirror, inhaling as he takes in the bruises she left last night, the way they were a nice dark purple today and he lets out a shaky sigh.

"I do not hear the water on!"

"I'm getting in!"

The water feels really nice tonight for some reason, maybe because of his tipsy stupor, and he really wants to just sit in the shower for the night and sleep under the water. Din's thoughts drift to not only last night, but today, too. To be honest, he wanted nothing more than to pin her down and make her beg for him, and he _hated_ the fact he said he'd like to take it slow, and then the closet happened, and now he actually was _yearning_ for her.

He actually lets out a _whimper_ to himself at that, looking at his body carefully. He runs his fingers over the bruises left on his hips, making him swallow, the want and need to do the same to her growing ever more as he thinks about it more and more.

Din slaps himself at the thought, wincing at the feeling, then continues to clean himself before getting out, drying off and getting dressed, then manages to brush his teeth weakly. His body feels sluggish and weak as the alcohol settles, and he almost just lays on the floor to fall asleep there. It was warm enough. Although now as he thought about it, Amalas would probably open the door and drag him to the bed if he didn't come out, so...

He opens the door, blinking in surprise to see her staring out the balcony doors, a distant look on her face. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and for some reason, she looks almost... Sad.

_With the anniversaries of her parents' deaths coming up, I want to make sure she has someone in her corner._

Din quietly walks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and lowering his head to press his forehead against her shoulder, and he feels her muscles drain of tension, slowly relaxing against him, leaning her head back into his neck. He crosses his arms around her waist, grasping his forearms to lock securely around her waist, trying not to bump the lightsabers. He hoped she was okay with this. If she wasn't, she'd be pulling away, so he guessed it was okay. They stand there like that, the buzz of the alcohol forgotten as they enjoy the quiet of the night and the smell of the soap he used in the shower.

"You smell good." She whispers suddenly, and he laughs softly against the fabric of her clothes, pressing his nose into her shoulder, shutting his eyes as she seems to enjoy how warm he is.

"Thanks. So do you." Amalas sighs quietly in content, making him move his forehead away to replace it with his chin, loving the way the cast of the moons made her face glow.

"Are you okay?" He asks quietly. She gently moves her hands down to layer them over his, gently stroking the rough skin with her thumbs. She lets out another quiet sigh, this time through her nose.

"I am okay." She says, and he's not really reassured, but Din doesn't want to push her just in case she remains guarded. He manages a slight nod before gently pulling away as she turns around.

"Now, you get in bed, mister."

"Only if you get in with me."

"I am dusty-"

"There's a shower right over there-"

"Oh my Force, you're a flirt when you are drunk."

"You didn't notice?" He grins dumbly at her before laughing quietly as she pushes him to his bed. His covers were folded back and he wonders if she did that for him. He almost doesn't get in bed, but the inviting look of the pillows and blankets makes him slowly crawl under the covers and start to settle. She smiles down at him as he gets comfortable, and he fights the grogginess that's already trying to take over his eyes. Amalas braces herself on the bed, leaning down and kissing his forehead softly before kissing the tip of his nose, before gently laying a slow yet long kiss to his lips. Then she pulls away, her eyes soft and warm as she watches him carefully.

"Goodnight, Din." She whispers, and runs her fingers through his curls soothingly, her nails gently scraping along his scalp.

With that, he's out like a light.

* * *

His nightmare that night made him wake up in a cold sweat, clutching the blankets over him tightly as he stared at the canopy over the bed. He shot up, reaching over to touch the edge of Grogu's cradle, and felt relief flood him once he saw the kid sleeping peacefully. Din lets out a quiet sigh, pushing off his covers and gently picking up Grogu with his little blanket, then crawled back in bed, laying down on his back with his kid on his chest. He adjusts Grogu's blanket so it's draped over him, then pulls up his own covers to cover both of them. Din lays his hand on Grogu's back, his heart rate slowly coming down as he adjusts to reality. Grogu was safe with him, he wasn't gone, he was here, laying on his chest peacefully sleeping. He's there. He's safe. _He's safe._

The dream was not what he expected. After having a dreamless sleep the previous night, he wasn't expecting to have a nightmare about Grogu leaving him. Din wasn't sure if it was the alcohol from dinner, or the comment about the other Jedi that might've answered Grogu's call that sparked the worry in the first place. In the dream, the rescue mission had gone to plan, but the only difference was that Amalas wasn't with them, and after facing the Dark Troopers with the fear that they all were going to die, a random Jedi showed up, saving their butts, then took Grogu from him, leaving him with nothing. The Jedi's features were blurred and he couldn't see any kind of detail of the man, and the words that he'd spoken had sounded far away and gurgled. He remembered holding Grogu as they said goodbye, and vaguely, he remembered his little fingers reaching and gently touching his bare cheek. Then he remembered watching the Jedi walk back down the hallway, Grogu in his arms, before he disappeared and that's where the dream ended.

Din looks down at his kid, gently running his fingers down the kid's ears, making him coo quietly in his sleep. His heart warms at the sight, and he blinks back tears and swallows the lump in his throat so he can whisper to him quietly:

"I won't let anyone take you away from me."

* * *

Just like yesterday, they got ready for the day, then a different maidservant brought them their breakfast. At least his head didn't hurt today, which was a little strange. As she sits the tray down, Grogu waddles over to her and gently tugs on her dress, looking up at her happily. Din feels happy that he seems to be coming out of his shell, maybe slowly realizing that he can trust the people that they were staying with. Slowly, Din was actually beginning to trust the people as well. He knew it'd take some time to totally trust everyone, but hopefully, it would be soon.

"Oh! Hello, little one." Din smiles beneath his helmet as she kneels down to level with Grogu as he makes little noises at her, and she nods as if she understands him when he knows she can't, but he's happy that she's so sweet to him.

"Thank you for the hospitality." He says. "He's... Really happy." The servant smiles at him as she stands, giving him a respectful nod. He clears his throat.

"Um, is... Is Amalas here today?" She shakes her head, making his shoulders slightly droop.

"Her Majesty will be out of the palace for the whole day, so she told me to tell you that you are free to explore. You have access to the whole building. If there is anything else I can assist you with, just let me know." She then curtsies, waves goodbye to Grogu, who waves back at her slowly, and leaves the room.

Din sighs in almost relief, slightly happy and slightly disappointed that Amalas would be gone for the whole day, but he makes himself forget his plans for the day and looks at Grogu instead, smiling softly at the kid's face.

"So, kid, what do you want to do today?" Grogu coos as Din picks him up, gently setting him down so he can eat his plate. "We could go look at the library, see maybe if we can find out more about your kind, yeah?" Grogu looks up at him with those big brown eyes and he smiles, slowly taking off his helmet, and Grogu giggles excitedly.

"You're happy that you get to see my face now, aren't you?" He asks, exasperation in his voice. Grogu reaches toward him, making him chuckle. Din picks him up and sets him in his lap, then starts getting their plates ready to eat, Grogu leaning forward with him so he's not crushed by the beskar armor.

With that, they eat in a comfortable silence.

* * *

"Thank you again for your input on this year's festival, Your Majesty. It'll be a pleasure to have the whole royal family here together again."

Amalas chuckles as they come to a stop at the steps leading up to the palace's entrance and she smiles warmly at him. "I cannot wait to see how everything turns out. Keep me updated, will you?"

"Of course, my queen."

"Have a good evening, Sylas."

"You as well." He gives a deep bow, and she bows her head in response before he heads back to his speeder, typing away on his pad. Once he's on his speeder and he's out of sight, Amalas lets her shoulders drop, releasing a sigh, then rubs her eyes with the heels of her palms.

"Rough day, my queen?" She looks up as Yarick approaches and shakes her head, smiling tiredly.

"Just a bit. Did not have a good sleep last night, either." Yarick throws her a worried glance as they climb the stairs as she rolls her eyes. "Relax, I am fine. You do not need to worry."

"I will worry." He huffs out. "What's on your mind?"

"Other than a million things-"

"What are the _personal_ concerns? Are you worried about Mando?"

She goes quiet at that and he sighs softly.

"To be fair, Yarick, he is new here, I just want him to feel as comfortable as possible."

"Yes, I know that. He was a bounty hunter for many years, and he jumped from system to system for just a small pay. He just needs some time to adjust. After all, I know how long it took you to settle in with the Jedi, and that was for a brief period of time." She sighs. "Tell me, are you having doubts about training the child?"

"I..."

Her shoulders slightly fall as they stop in the foyer, and she looks away from him as he raises his eyebrows.

"Amalas, you are one of the most powerful people I know. You are intelligent and considerate and extremely kind, and that is what makes you a great Jedi and queen. I understand you have doubts, and you will continue to have doubts throughout your whole life." He gently sets his hand on her shoulder, smiling at her kindly. "You are one of the best people I have ever known, old friend. It's been a privilege to be your friend and captain."

Amalas gives him a tiny smile before looking away, looking around the palace with a thoughtful look.

"I... I have been having some doubts, yes. I answered the call in a haste, and..." He raises his eyebrow as she groans. "The stupid Force sent me a goddamn premonition the night before I revealed myself to him and his friends."

"Oh. That's why you have been courting him."

"Yes." She double takes, looking startled at her quick answer. Yarick simply looks amused. "Wait, no, I meant like-"

"Amalas, it is quite obvious what you two have been doing." He raises his eyebrows. "Inviting him to your springs was not exactly what you call 'subtle'. Plus, I know you better than that." Her cheeks flush.

"Okay, fine, I have been attempting to court him, and it seems that he feels the same."

"Well, that's good. Who knows, maybe we'll have an heir soon-"

"Oh, you shut your mouth, Captain." She says, giving him a good two fingered jab between his chest plates. He lets out a yelp, rushing to protect the spot.

"I've been injured!" He cries out and she rolls her eyes as the other guards look over worriedly. "Call for help! Please!" He drops to his knees dramatically, dropping his spear and clutching at his side.

"The Jedi has struck me down...! Please, avenge me!" Yarick collapses face down on the ground, and Amalas just huffs and stares at the ceiling blankly. She hears a few guards laugh to themselves as they watch the scene, and she shakes her head.

"You are the _worst._ " She hisses. Yarick just laughs, getting back on his feet.

"You were amused." He teases and she rolls her eyes.

"Sure. Whatever boosts your ego, Yarick."

"Yup." Amalas shakes her head, chuckling as she rubs her forehead.

"Speaking of Mando, have you seen him today?"

"Last I heard, I think he's in the library." She raises her eyebrow, getting a slight shrug in response. "Rheya told me that she saw the keeper and the keeper said he'd been there since this morning. He and the child have just been in there for the whole day." Amalas glances at the setting suns, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh."

"Well, at least he's curious, right?" Amalas nods, smiling.

"I suppose I should go check on him, to make sure he is not drowning in a sea of books." He laughs.

"Good idea. See you at dinner, Your Majesty." He gives a bow, almost sarcastically, and she laughs, shoving his shoulder as she passes him to head up the stairs. He laughs, unfortunately catching himself and salutes her as she walks upstairs to the library.

A few maidservants curtsy when they see her as she passes through the halls, and she nods at him in return before finally arriving to the fourth floor. It's deserted, probably since Din was up here, and he maybe let his guard down enough to take off his helmet, despite the risk. Her body felt warm at the idea. Of course she knew that it was a difficult choice for him, to break his Creed, to let his guard down to people he barely met and knew, to a room he barely knew at that. Mentally, she knows that he must be at war with himself on the inside about it all, and god, she hopes she can comfort him enough where he realizes that whatever way he does choose, he has a lot of support in his corner.

Then the matter of yesterday's events. The closet was one thing, but the hallway was another. She knew that the drink was strong and was going to warn him, but he downed it before she could, so she watched with amusement and interest to see how he'd react to it. Although the hallway was certainly _something,_ the fight had drained her of all emotional and physical well-being. Would he be upset if she told him that? Because that damn sentence kept replaying through her mind the whole day and she couldn't stop thinking about it, and she had wanted to continue, but the thought of taking advantage of his drunken state was an immediate mood killer. She knew what their alcohol could do to a human, and she did want him to try to go overboard with anything else. Of course though, when he put his arms around her after his shower, she nearly teared up at the gesture, the touch so sweet and so kind, and she wanted to so badly crawl into bed with him and let him hold her close as they slept.

Of course though, if a maidservant saw their queen in bed with their Mandalorian guest, can you imagine the rumors that would circulate on top of the suggestions from everyone else? Amalas may love her people, but damn, they are extreme gossipers. She couldn't subject Din to that.

She rounds a bookshelf before doubling back, hiding as she takes in the scene in front of her. Din sat under the dome on the crescent shaped couch, Grogu in his lap as they carefully read a book about what looked like the High Republic's history. She smiles to herself when she sees those beautiful, thick brown curls of his, silently celebrating that he had taken off his helmet. There were several stacks of books, in a neat tower in matched categories. Her heart warms at the sight. Din must've not wanted to make the keeper return all of the books.

If Amalas strains, too, she can hear Din quietly reading the book out loud so Grogu can hear the story, and for some unknown reason, her body likes that sight.

Amalas pushes down the feeling, quietly walking in behind them to go to the other side of the couch. Once he notices her, he stops reading and looks up at her, a pink bush tinting his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Grogu giggles up at her and she smiles at him warmly, giving him a little wave as she sits on the edge of the couch.

"Hey." He says softly.

"Hi."

"I, uh, I know you said I could have free reign at the library, but I... I've never..." He looks down at the paper book in his hands, and she raises her eyebrows.

"You have never seen a book before?" She asks and he shakes his head.

"All the information I had access to were usually data chips and datapads." He bites his lower lip with nervousness before lifting his arms in surprise as Grogu crawls away from his lap, crawling over to her lap instead and making himself comfortable with her instead of him. Din gives him a betrayed look, making her purse her lips to hide her smile.

"Okay, I know beskar isn't the best padding, but that was rude." Din says, frowning at Grogu. The kid simply coos at him, almost in a taunting manner. Amalas resists a laugh, sitting back a bit and letting the little green child cozy up to her.

"What have you read so far?" She asks, glancing at the stacks of books.

"I was looking for Mandalore's history, and... Uh, well, a little bit of your planet's history, too."

"Yeah? And what did you find?" The pink darkens to red, and Amalas wonders if he's forgotten that she can see him start to fidget and nervously glance between the books and her.

"Just... What your species is like and all, mainly. Plus how you guys... Built everything like it is now."

"And?"

"And I'm impressed. I didn't know Mandalore was part of the liberation group to free your people." She nods, smiling softly as she strokes Grogu's right ear, making him coo happily at the feeling, adjusting so he was laying on her stomach, beginning to get sleepy from the touch.

"Mandalorians and Jedi had to work together to set my people free because there were so many of us. Since then, and especially after my grandparents became allies with my mother, we have invited Mandalore to celebrate the Liberty Festival with us. After the Great Purge, often times we would have Mandalorians come to us to request lodging for some time before they left so they weren't followed. It was... Upsetting that an entire planet became hunted, and it reminds us every day about our own past."

"Will Bo-Katan be attending it this year?"

"She gave me her word, so I hope so. They left early this morning before I went into the city."

"Really?"

"Mm. They have much work to do before she can attempt to take back Mandalore."

"Like find other Mandalorians?"

"Most likely, yes." Din gently closes the book, as if shutting it too hard would make it turn into dust and he slowly sets it on the table as if it was a valuable, breakable artifact. Amalas wants to kiss him because of that, her eyes tracking his _gloveless_ hands as he settles back on the couch.

"How was your day?" He asks.

"It was alright. Uneventful."

"You were helping with the festival planning or whatever, right?" She laughs in amusement.

"Yes. I was off-world last year with Bo-Katan and I unfortunately missed last year's celebration, so it will be nice to be here for this year's. And I believe my uncles should be coming home in time as well." Nervousness flicks across his face at that.

"So... Your whole family will be there, I'm assuming."

"Yes." She can't help the amusement that leaks into her voice, raising her eyebrow before she changes the subject. "Anyhow, I know I said I will be teaching Grogu how to sharpen his powers and everything, but I wanted to ask if it would be okay to put him in a regular education as well. He has some education from the Jedi Temple, but that was thirty years ago. And since he has been in hiding for so many years, I am sure he is missing some education pieces, as well."

"Oh. I... To be honest, I hadn't thought about that." He looks down at Grogu, who was now soundly asleep on her stomach, and her hand gently lays on his back, feeling his back rise slightly with his breathing. "I think that would be okay." The hesitance is obvious in his voice, and the anxiety that spikes in the Force is almost too much, and she blinks in surprise at the sudden burst.

Amalas clears her throat, looking at him with a furrowed eyebrow. "Din, you are projecting again."

"Oh, shit-"

"Whoa, it is alright. Do not worry." She says quickly in a quiet tone, hoping that didn't bother Grogu. "It's alright. You guys are _safe_ here."

"I'm sorry, I'm just... I really do feel good about being here, but the years of paranoia that comes with being a bounty hunter, not to mention a Mandalorian doesn't exactly fade over night."

"I understand that. I know it will take some time for you to feel completely relaxed here." She pats next to her. "Come here." Din glances over his shoulder before getting up and sitting beside her, more on the edge than on the actual cushion. She tugs him gently by his belt until he's laying like her and she gently intertwines their hands, admiring how big his hands were compared to his before fixing him with a stern look.

"I will _not_ allow anything to happen to you or Grogu. If anything happened to you two, I would fight until my last breath to keep you protected and safe. While you are here with me, you will not know harm, okay?"

His warm, big brown eyes shine as he studies her face before he nods. Amalas leans forward a bit, pressing her forehead against his and letting their noses brush, getting a soft sigh from him in response.

"You are _safe._ "


	9. "Time always tells, Mando. Time will always tell, whether you like it or not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you release this the same time as the next chapter of Rough Day comes out. 🥲

The next couple of days were actually normal, for once in his life. It was strange to not jump from planet to planet, to hunt down lodging or food or to simply stretch their legs. Din was happy that Grogu seemed to be settling in quite fast, getting used to a new schedule and routine that they started to make. While Amalas was busy with royal duties or something, Din was usually in the library reading whatever interested him. Grogu would settle down with him on the couch and sometimes, Din would read him whatever he read until the kid fell asleep.

It was peaceful, for once.

Sure, he continued to look over his shoulder at all times, but slowly, he was becoming more and more comfortable with this planet. Waking up in the mornings with golden rays in a soft and warm bed, taking a warm shower every morning and getting dressed in clean clothes that weren't a couple of days old was honestly amazing. Not to mention the good food they were getting every day, and for once, ever since he found Grogu, his appetite seemed to be getting satisfied with the meals. Din honestly wouldn't know how to explain it to Amalas if Grogu got into something he shouldn't and caused trouble. Din hoped that would never happen.

Din had just finished stretching out and getting back in his armor when a servant knocked again. He makes sure everything is clasped and hooked on correctly, adjusting his helmet on comfortably before opening the door.

She bows her head to him respectfully, a sweet smile on her face. He remembered her from his first day on Stewjon, the one that brought him to the dining room that evening.

"Good morning. How was breakfast?"

"Good, as always." He replies, stepping aside to let her in.

"Good to hear that. Good morning, young one." Grogu coos up at her as she gently wipes his face to rid of any crumbs leftover before she started to gather the dishes. He takes a step forward, a little startled by how quickly she set to picking up. Well, it was her job after all, but Din still felt bad. He tried to keep the room as clean as possible so they'd have an easy clean, yet he still felt a bit bad that they had to clean up after them.

"Oh, I could do that."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it." She says, waving her hand at him. "Her Majesty is requesting your presence. She's at the sparring field right now." His body warms, and he's not sure why. He hadn't seen her much since that evening in the library, and if he didn't know better, it seemed like she was avoiding him. He hoped she wasn't upset about the night of the duel when he pinned her in the hallway. If she was, would she have voiced her concerns to him?

"Do you know what it's about?" He asks, and she shakes her head.

"No, she simply asked me to tell you to head to the fields. She has been sparring with the captain since early this morning." She giggles. "She might be looking for a new partner to spar against." Din smirks under his helmet.

"Is her own captain losing?" She laughs.

"Majorly. I think he needs some assistance."

"Maybe." The servant shares a similar smirk with him, holding the tray low against her hips as she stands by the door.

"Just don't embarrass him too much. I don't think he could come back from a Jedi and a Mandalorian defeating him in combat." He lets out a low chuckle, surprising himself, and he sees a dark red blush suddenly explode onto the servant's cheeks. _Oh no._

"Anyway! You can find the fields by the gardens! Have a good day!" And she quickly leaves, almost running into the doorframe while she's at it, and he meets Grogu's curious face, his ears perked up from the scene. Grogu coos at him questioningly as if trying to say "what the heck was that about?"

Din shakes his head, shrugging his shoulders slightly with his exasperation evident. Grogu laughs at him, making him smile, his heart warming with so many emotions it almost hurts.

"Come on, let's go see what the queen needs."

* * *

Din remembers the way to the gardens, but he doesn't know which way to go for the sparring fields, until he hears the distant sounds of fighting to the right. He nods his head down at Grogu, who chose to walk instead of carried, and they follow a path hugging the side of the palace. The path is made out of red rectangular stone with a nice roof overhead, supported by beams along the left side of the path. He notices hanging bulb lights that stretch all over the length of the roof until the path ends, turning left onto a wide path leading to a small rectangular field where Amalas and Yarick are standing in the middle of, circling each other. On the right and left are short benches with thick poles with lights, and Grogu slowly climbs onto one of the benches while he leans against the pole, watching with interest. The field is made out of smooth rubber it looked like, probably for comfort and less injuries if acquired.

Okay, he can't help himself. He lets himself trail his eyes down her body, because it's not like they could see it, and let's just say he liked what he saw.

Amalas was dressed in what you wouldn't expect for sparring, a simple light blue cropped tank top that flowed as she moved with tight black shorts. She was barefoot and her hands were wrapped with a protective gauze. The sun made her gold markings practically glow and he could see all the scars, whether it was on her legs, arms or sides. Her hair was tied in a simple ponytail to prevent hair falling into her face. A simple brown wooden staff was in her hand, pressing against the back of her arm as she pretty much stalked Yarick like an animal hunting her prey.

Yarick, on the other hand, was... Different than what he had imagined. Din had to admit that the captain was quite attractive and just as he figured, the dude was a tank. He slightly reminded him of Paz, but he was a bit more slender than Paz was. He had red dreads that fell to his waist, gold, red, and blue beads on some individual strands in an asymmetrical pattern. It was tied back with a simple band to avoid getting in his way. He was dressed in a sleeveless high collared red shirt that clung to his physique and simple dark gray pants. He too was barefoot and his hands were wrapped in the same gauze as her hands. He also held a wooden staff in his left hand and he watched Amalas with a close eye, a small smirk on his lips.

"Why is it that you always seem to beat me? Even when we were children you always were able to get the upper hand in things." Yarick comments, tossing the staff to his right hand. Din furrows his eyebrows. They were childhood friends? Well, it did make sense as to why they were so close...

Amalas laughs, a pleasant nose to his ears. "Because I'm a Jedi?"

"No! Not even that!" He complains. "You never used the Force unless we were raiding the pantry, which was great, but even when we fought as kids you always won." Amalas simply shrugs.

"Because I am better than you." She strikes quickly, and somehow Yarick is able to block it. She pushes down on him as hard as she can, her muscles straining. Din doesn't understand how she could be beating Yarick considering how much bigger he was, but he supposed that didn't matter when you were fighting against a literal wizard.

Yarick pushes her back, making her slide on the ground. She braces herself just in time to block several blows that were aimed for her sides and legs, and he kept hitting at her until he backed her against the edge of the field, where her back hit an invisible force field. Din raises his eyebrows high, feeling a flush of jealousy rush over his body as Yarick pushes his staff against her, holding her against the wall as she struggled to push back.

"Maybe I'll finally get a win." Yarick grins at her, and she smirks, quickly hooking her leg around the back of his knee, tugging hard and twisting them around, pinning him face down on the mat, pressing her staff to the back of his neck as his own staff gets knocked away. Amalas straddles his back, leaning down and whispering something in Yarick's ear that makes him huff.

"Show-off." He says, glaring up at her through the corner of his eye. Amalas laughs, standing and getting off of him. The force field shimmers before disintegrating, and he watches as Amalas helps Yarick up, poking him in the arm.

"You know, for all that muscle, you sure do not know how to use it very well."

"Oh, very funny." He rolls his eyes.

"I am just saying that if you put a little bit more effort then _maybe_ you might beat me for once in your life."

"You're mean. And unfair."

"I can give you some pointers."

For some reason, Din doesn't really like the "pointers" she insinuates, because she gives a suggestive look at Yarick, and the captain smirks back. Do they really not notice him? Because he knows for a fact that she can sense his presence when he is in vicinity so was she deliberately teasing him?

"Oh, really?" She shrugs.

"Only if you would like." Yarick inhales, rolling his eyes before he gently places his hand on Amalas's lower back, guiding her forward. Amalas doesn't pull away, but instead seems to lean into the touch.

Din _almost_ activates his whistling birds.

"Oh, good, you brought Grogu with you." He looks up to look at her face instead of staring at Yarick's hand on her back and they separate as they walk up to him. Grogu coos at Amalas happily as she smiles at him, kneeling in front of him and giving him a gentle head pat. Yarick goes over to the bench on their left and picks up a towel to wipe the sweat off his face.

"Is everything okay?" He asks, struggling to keep the worry out of his voice.

"Everything is fine. I would actually like to start him today."

"Today?" She stands, leaning her weight on her staff as she tilts her head questioningly at him, raising her eyebrow.

"Yes. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I just... You haven't really talked to me the past few days." He bites back asking if she hated him for the hallway the other night, instead looking at Grogu as he slowly climbs off the bench. "What will you do with him?"

"I figured we could start of with a light meditation. How does that sound?" Amalas asks, looking down at Grogu as he coos up at her curiously, tentatively laying his hand on her calf. She smiles down at him warmly, nodding her head in the direction of the middle of the mat. "Come on, little one." Grogu follows her obediently to the center of the mat, so Din takes a seat on the bench, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Yarick comes and sits next to him, his towel wrapped around his neck to drape over his shoulders. He doesn't sit close, thankfully, but Din still feels a little weirded out that he'd come and sit next to him out of all of the benches surrounding the sparring mats.

Why was he so jealous? It was obvious that they were really good friends, childhood friends at that, and since it seemed that her people were naturally flirty, maybe they were just flirting for fun. Yeah, that was it. It had to be.

"Maybe when she's done we could spar." Yarick comments, sipping from a water canteen. Din slowly turns his head to raise his eyebrow even though Yarick can't see him, but he imagines he can sense his bemusement.

"No offense," Din says slowly, "but I don't imagine fighting the queen's royal guard would be a good idea." Yarick laughs, surprisingly good-naturedly, and Din watches him carefully.

"Afraid to take me on? I think Amalas would be okay with it." He grunts in reply at that, turning his attention back to Amalas and Grogu. They sat on the mats, Grogu taking a similar position when he sat on the seeing stone on Tython, Amalas crossing her legs and laying her wrists on her knees, smiling at his kid calmly as she gives him instructions that they can't hear.

"Are you two friends?" Din can't help but ask. Yarick nods.

"We are. I grew up in a well-known noble house, and Amalas and I have known each other since we were young children. We were best friends growing up, and I was the one always bailing _her_ out of situations." Yarick huffs. "One time we snuck into the armory when we were like ten and let's just say the former king and queen were _not_ very happy about seeing their ten year old princess wielding a spear."

"But she was training to be a Jedi, right?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but until she went to Ilum her training really just involved meditating and trying to use tricks and stuff for the Force." Yarick shrugs. "Amalas only started to use her lightsabers when she assembled them at fifteen."

"And then she served in the Clone Wars at eighteen?"

"Yes. I was in the royal academy when she showed up to my room and explained what was going on. The war had managed to reach us... But thanks to her, our planet was kept safe from the war." Din notices how Yarick's grip around the canteen tightens, his face growing clouded as he watches Amalas. "She was never quite the same when she returned home."

"It changed her."

"In many ways. She watched hundreds of beings die, she watched as a Sith lord killed her mother in front of her and her father, she fought another Sith lord and ended up in a coma for three weeks afterwards. She had a hunch about who the Sith was, and called me in the middle of the night, telling me about who she thought it was."

"Then why didn't she go to the Republic about it?"

"The Jedi back then had their reservations about Amalas, because she was this powerful young Jedi that seemed to come out of nowhere. They basically treated her like an outcast when they found out about who she was." Din leans back, looking up at Amalas. Both of them have their eyes closed, and the air surrounding the entire area seems to be relaxed and peaceful. Even the birds he heard earlier had stopped singing.

"Why did she get involved with the war in the first place?"

"Satine, her mother, came to the king and queen asking for help for some peace talks. Little did she know she would be thrown into that war with no warning." Yarick's face grows dark, his gaze turning to the ground, and Din looks over at him, his heart actually pinching. "She never was the same when she came home." He repeats, but quieter, more to himself than to Din.

"You see and do things that replay in your head over and over again, no matter what you do to stop it." Din says quietly. "The things I have seen and done in my years since swearing the Creed is some things I will never be able to undo, yet over the years I have become desensitized to it all. I had countless sleepless nights when I was starting out." Yarick nods.

"I graduated from the academy and was sworn into the guard. The amount of times I heard her crying at night... Is far too many to count." He notices how glossy Yarick's eyes become, and Din realizes that their relationship wasn't only friendly, but more similar to a brother and sister. Although they flirted and made suggestions, that was only to seemingly tease Din, and as Yarick opened up more to him, he was starting to find that their relationship was much deeper than he originally thought.

"How is she now?" He asks hesitantly.

"Better, now that the years have progressed, but she has always carried her regrets with her, like a burden on her shoulders. I have tried to ease that burden, but it's something that will always be with her." Din nods in agreement, turning his head back to look at Amalas.

"Her life is... Definitely not what I expected. When I met Ahsoka on Corvus, I knew there was something different about her. She was wiser and more powerful than what I assumed she would be like, but..."

"Ahsoka Tano served alongside Amalas. That's how they know each other. They were close friends until the end of the war, and they separated to keep the Empire from hunting them down." Yarick shakes his head. "That day forever haunts her."

"I imagine." Din says softly. "I couldn't imagine the losses."

"Occasionally, on my night shifts..." His voice becomes choked, and Din looks over at him, feeling his own throat start to close. He was stunned how Yarick showed emotion so quickly, having known him for a short time. It took him a few days to even start talking to Grogu normally, and now they had regular one-sided conversations all the time. "She still calls out for the men she served with. I have tried to comfort her, but I never went through what she has been through. Maybe... Maybe now that you are here, it'll be different."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you two are veterans, warriors. You share a deeper connection than I do with her."

"You guys have been friends far longer-"

"That may be so," Yarick says gently, cutting him off with a raise of his hand, "but Amalas needs someone outside of her zone to comfort her."

"And how do you think I can do that?"

"I don't know." Yarick shrugs one shoulder. "Time will tell, Mando. Time will always tell, whether you like it or not."

* * *

Amalas and Grogu meditated for quite some time until lunch rolled around, then they stopped. She praised Grogu as they walked back to them, holding him in her arms and nodding as he communicated with her with their Force powers. That's what Din assumed they communicated with, anyway."

"Well? How'd he do?" Din asks, reaching reflexively to take him back, and Amalas gently hands him over.

"He did well. He remembers how to meditate from his time at the temple, and the seeing stone has seemed to awaken his powers more than I thought. Over time, he will learn how to sharpen his skills, and hopefully, become a powerful Jedi." Amalas smiles down at Grogu as Din adjusts him in his arms, and his kid coos up at her in agreement.

"Good." He gently rubs Grogu's back. "I have a question."

"What's that?" Amalas asks, taking a second water canteen from Yarick, her eyes never leaving Din's helmet.

"Why is it so important to train him? I know I was tasked to reunite him with his kind, but I have been wondering that for some time now."

"The Jedi are few and far in between. There are very few left, and yes, in the future there will be more, but it is more important than ever to essentially restart the Jedi Order now. That is one of the New Republic's tasks."

"It is?" Amalas nods.

"Does Leia Organa ring a bell?" He frowns, slightly shaking his head.

"No."

"The New Republic was created shortly after the fall of the Empire, by Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. They... Are trying to reshape the galaxy." Din thinks about Cara and how she said that after the Empire fell, it became protecting dignitaries instead, making her leave that life before returning as a marshal. He wonders if she knew this Leia.

"I see. And this other Jedi you mentioned earlier? The one who might have answered the call instead? Who is he?" Amalas stares at Grogu, blankfaced, her eyes empty.

"It's Luke."

"What?"

"Luke and Leia are twins, the children of who I once knew as Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. Anakin..." She swallows noticeably, her gaze growing distant. "He was the Jedi to fall."

Din's body stiffened.

"And this other Jedi is his _son_? Do you personally know him?"

"No, I only met him when he was a baby. But I have watched over him through the Force. It was my father who watched over him on Tattooine. He is quite strong in the Force, but I am happy that I was to answer Grogu's call instead."

"Do you not trust him?"

"It is not that I do not trust him..." She trails off, biting her lower lip. "I just had a bad feeling that if he were to answer Grogu's call, he would... He would separate you two, and I did not want that."

Din thinks about his dream the other night, his hold slightly tightening around Grogu.

"On that note," Yarick says, trying to make the situation a bit more light hearted. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, because you lost ten times today?"

"Oh, you shush." Yarick says, backing up as Amalas starts walking towards him before moving out of her way.

"I am going to take a shower, I will see you all for lunch." She waves her hand as she walks away, and Din and Yarick stand side by side, almost entranced as she walks away.

"She is something." Din comments, and he's not really sure what he's referring to."

"I mean... I can take the kid if you'd like to go join her-"

Din turns to him slowly, making Yarick laugh, then clear his throat.

"I should run, shouldn't I?"

"Maybe." Din gruffs out, and Yarick quickly picks up his towel and starts a jog in the same direction Amalas went. Grogu giggles, and Din sighs tiredly, rolling his eyes slightly.

"I really hate that you can sense stuff, kid. You hungry?"

* * *

Amalas silently wondered if Din was blind.

Not in the oblivious way, because she knew he could see things better than most people and read people better than anybody else, so it was more in the sight department. The first night he was in the library, she'd noticed he'd slightly been squinting when reading, and she wondered if he was near sighted. His helmet had the built in scope and everything, so she wondered if he needed specs outside of the helmet. Because since he rarely took it off, it might be true.

So, that's where the test came in.

After finishing up some things that needed her attention, she figured he'd be in the library again, so that's where she tried first, and she was right.

Grogu was asleep on his chest when she got there, and her heart warmed and her stomach did flips. He was reading a pretty thick book, the book a bit close to his face, but he was helmetless and so _adorable_ like that, Amalas wanted to take a picture. She unfortunately resisted the temptation, walking up and leaning over so she was looking down at him over his face. He looks up at her, his brown eyes widening slightly before he smiles at her.

"Hey." She greets quietly, and he lowers the book slowly.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Came to see what you were up to. What are you reading?"

"A book about-" He turns the book so he can read the cover. "Cultural significance in the galaxy."

"Well, that's deep." Amalas says, raising her eyebrow high in question. His ears tip red and he purses his lips slightly.

"Yeah, well, I read something to him and he fell asleep, so..." He shrugs slightly. Amalas chuckles, adjusting slightly in her spot before putting her elbow on the back of the couch, leaning her head against her fist. Maybe she wouldn't do the test tonight. He looked tired enough, and if he took offense to the idea, she didn't want him to be even more tired than normal. 

"Din."

"What?"

"I have not been avoiding you on purpose." He glances at her before looking back at the book, gently thumbing the edges of the pages, once again forgetting she can see his face.

"I'm sorry about the hallway. I... I don't know what came over me."

"I should have warned you about the drink. Our people make our alcohol and medications stronger than what a human would."

"Why?"

"When my people were enslaved years ago, they were often drugged for... Cooperation. Over time, though, our bodies evolved to metabolize the drugs they used, so now we have to make our alcohol and drugs stronger than normal, or else it wouldn't have any effect on us. There are some humans that can usually tolerate it, like you and Bo-Katan, but usually, once it sets in, then it has some unusual side effects."

"I didn't feel anything in the morning."

"That's because I gave you a shot to counteract the morning after effects. You would not have been able to get out of bed if I had not."

"Oh. Well, thanks."

"You're welcome." He still doesn't meet her eyes, though. "Din, it's not that I did not want to go to bed with you... I just... Had a lot on my mind."

"The fight?"

"That, and about a million other things." Din finally looks at her, his eyes soft and kind, and she just wants to tug him close and never let him go.

"I'm sorry." He says quietly. She reaches and lays her arm on his vambrace, smiling at him softly.

"I would like your opinions tomorrow."

"For?"

"This year's Liberty Festival marks the five-hundredth year since we were liberated from slavery. This year is very important, and I want it to make it one to remember."

"So why do you need my help?"

"It's three weeks from now, and I would like for you to read as much as you can about our culture and our history, and then when you are done, I would like an new eye to help with the preparations."

"I don't exactly have an eye for... Decoration." Amalas laughs, relaxing back into the cushion of the couch, rubbing her forehead with her forefingers.

"I am not talking about the decorations for the festival, silly. I would like for you to run point on extra security with Yarick in the upcoming weeks leading up to the festival." He raises his eyebrow.

"I thought this planet was neutral. Why would you need extra security?"

"For one thing, you." He looks a little taken back at that, and Amalas smirks to herself before pushing herself off the couch and walking to the balcony, placing her hands on the railing as the cool fresh night air washes over her. She inhales deeply, closing her eyes as she focuses on everything around her; the rustling of the trees, the soft noises of the grass, the small noises from the night animals, even the soft breathing from Grogu.

"I know you are afraid that your being here will bring harm to this planet, and I have thought about that possibility. I cannot deny that it's not strong, especially with the havoc we caused recently. Killing one of the moffs will come back to bite me in the ass, and I will be the person to take responsibility. I will not allow my actions to harm you or Grogu, just because you took a bounty." She inhales once more, holding her breath. "Because of that, I am taking extra precaution to ensure my people's safety, including you. Having an outsider's perspective will be good-"

His lips are on hers in a second, cutting her rambling short, her left hand flying up to hold onto his wrist that cups her face to pull her close. Amalas melts against him, his other arm wrapping around her waist to pull her close to him and she goes with it, laying her other hand on his pauldron as the kiss deepens. She hadn't even heard him move, or even had sensed his presence getting closer to her while she spoke, making her wonder just how much he makes her let her guard down when she was around him.

He pulls away from her gently, his thumb running over her lips as she parts them to slightly pant.

"I'll help you with the security." He says lowly, and a shiver runs up her spine.

"You will?"

"Yes." She relaxes against him, his hand around her waist getting a bit tighter and pulling her closer. Amalas moves her arms to wrap around his neck, pressing her forehead into his neck to inhale the scent of his soap. She shut her eyes tightly, letting herself relax for once in her life, and Din wrapped his arms around her, the cold metal of beskar a bit uncomfortable, yet actually a little bit nice as well.

"Hey."

"Yes?" Din lays his hand on the top of her head, gently pressing a kiss under where his thumb lay on her head. It's such a simple act, but it feels so intimate and she realizes then that she'd been aching for that kind of touch. Not the sexual kind of intimate, but this loving, gentle, _familiar_ kind of intimate. Amalas knew that Din might be craving the same kind as well.

"I'm glad I met you." He whispers, his voice low and gruff, like a bounty hunter's should be, but also soothing and almost... Tranquilizing.

"You are?"

"Yes. I'm just as surprised as you are." He seems to hesitant, almost struggle with his next words, as if trying to pick them carefully. "I... I've been doing a lot of thinking..."

"That's dangerous."

"You shush." She giggles against his neck, and she can feel him smile at that. "I want to be better... For Grogu, and myself... But also... But also for you." He swallows thickly, and she can feel it, but she smiles and lifts her head to look at him eye to eye.

"So, the beskar is slowly melting away to reveal that heart of yours, huh?" He rolls his eyes.

"Sure." She smiles softly, reaching to cup his cheek and stroke his stumble.

"Who knew a man so rough could be so kind?" She nods her head toward Grogu pointedly. He turns his head to look at his kid, laying his cheek against his head, and she adjusts so she's laying against his shoulder, both of them watching Grogu sleep peacefully.

In that moment, nothing else mattered.


	10. "If I win, you have to relax for the rest of the day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me staying up until 5 AM to finish this....
> 
> Nope, not me.

The city was a lot different than what Din was used to. For one thing, it was clean. Another thing was that the paths and roads were red stone instead of packed down sand or dirt, and now that he was on the ground and up close, he could see how different the architecture was on this planet than the rest of the galaxy. On the bright side at least most of the doors he saw were automatic, so that was at least a little familiar to him. The city was still asleep as they walked through, so it was peaceful and quiet for the time being. Their breakfast had been brought to them early so that way they could meet Yarick at the right time, and after a short walk through the palace, he met the captain on the front steps of palace, and now they were walking through the city to the watchtower.

The buildings were gold, probably painted to look that way. They alternated between one stories to three, with dome roofs, and clear rectangular glass windows. In some houses, he noticed little trinkets and statues in the windowsills. Plants and gardens lined the edges of some houses or outside doors. Some houses had covered porches with dangling lights, vines wrapping around the posts with potted flowers in front. He could see multiple heat signatures in the houses, some still, some moving about to get ready for the day. The suns were rising over the horizon, creating a golden glow across the city and lighting it up rather beautifully, the gold paint on the houses almost glowing.

Grogu liked the city, apparently, because Din could feel his ears continuously hit his hips as he moved his head around to see the new sights. Din had to agree with him that he liked the city, too. He was so used to the backwater, rather dingy towns that the new bright architecture was a slight culture shock. Not to mention the more he learned about the people and their history, the more curious he became, and the more curious he became, the more he begin to let down his guard.

Why did fate hate him?

"Why are you concerned about extra security?"

Yarick takes a breath of the morning air, thinking about it for a second as he takes in his city before responding.

"Amalas is concerned about what happened within the last few weeks. She... Caused quite a bit of havoc recently."

"Blowing up Moff Gideon's cruiser was a bold move."

"Not only that. Before she answered your kid's call, she was hunting down low ranking officials that were straying into this part of the system."

"That makes sense as to why she was able to get to us so fast."

"Mm. Taking down Moff Gideon was a good move."

"Was it?" Yarick hums in thought for a minute before answering.

"Killing him was the best move. It'll limit the expanse of the leftover remains of the Empire."

"So why the extra security?" Yarick eyes him through the corner of his eye, his eyebrow rising questioningly.

"You're a Mandalorian. You took a high bounty, and still have it. There are bounty hunters out there that are not going to forgive and forget easily. And the remnants of the Empire may come looking for the person behind Gideon's demise."

Din remained quiet at that.

They turn left to a spacious wide area with vendor stalls set up along the sides, a few people already setting up for the day. When they notice them, they wave and smile. Din notices how different how every one acts here, so calm, so peaceful and so kind. He always tried to be a little courteous when he was trying to find a bounty, but this was really different than hunting.

"Good morning, Captain!" A woman says from a stall to the right.

"Morning, Tania. How are you today?"

"Doing good, thank you for asking." She gives him and Grogu a wave next. "Welcome, Mandalorian! It's a pleasure to have you here." Grogu coos and waves back at her, and Din gives a tilt of his helmet, making her smile warmly at them.

"We'll come back once you've opened." Yarick calls. "Have some business to take care of right now."

"Of course. Have a good day." She waves at them once more as they walk away.

"It's... Very nice here." Din comments quietly as they're greeted by vendors and merchants. Yarick nods.

"After our history, it's nice to have a long era of peace that hopefully continues for quite some time. I'm sure Amalas has filled you in?"

"Yes, she has." Yarick makes a grumble in his throat as they come to a tall watchtower at the edge of the city. It was about a mile out from the buildings and about two stories tall, painted dark green to match the fields it was situated in. From below he could see two guards up there already, probably their post for the day. A spiral staircase led up to the main floor, and Din realized what a good idea that was. It'd at least deter any intruders enough where they could get defensive.

They walked up the staircase and came onto a platform overlooking the fields behind them but the marketplace and what looked like a ship landing area to their left. Din looks around carefully, before turning his attention to Yarick, who stops at a console in the center of the platform, where a woman stands, reading a screen, but she looks up at Yarick as he comes to stand in front of her.

"Lieutenant." He greets, and she smirks at him. She's pretty, with green markings that are similar to Yarick's with the lines on her chin, but on under her cheekbones they were slanted instead of being straight across her nose. Her eyes are bright green, accenting her markings quite well. She's dressed in the same armor as the rest of the guard, but hers is silver instead of gold. Was that how they signified rank here? With different colored armor? Made sense. She also had a short dagger sheath on her belt on the back, and gold lines were etched carefully into the sides of her helmet.

"Captain. How was your stroll?"

"Just fine, Gloxia. How was the night shift?"

"Boring as ever. A couple of kids roaming after dark, but whatever." She shrugs, then focuses on Din, smirking. "Mandalorian, good to see one of your kind again."

"Didn't you see Bo-Katan?" He asks gruffly.

"I was in the hospital during the time of the fight." She sighs. "I wasn't able to see it."

"In person anyway. You literally demanded a holoTV so you could watch it."

"And?"

"You still got to see it." She repeats his sentence in a mocking tone, making Yarick glare at her. "Mando, meet Gloxia, Lieutenant of the royal guard. Gloxia, meet Mando." Gloxia gives him a respectful nod.

"Her Majesty briefed me last night. A fresh eye would do well this year."

"What are your main concerns for a breach?" Gloxia walks over to the edge and nods in the direction of the landing platform.

"The landing platforms mainly, both the royal and common as well as the surrounding farms. We're surrounded by the forest but the forest is so dense that you couldn't land in it. The platforms do require special authorization, but it's still a high chance someone could land undetected before the festival."

"Who usually comes in?"

"Our people. There's only a handful of planets that know about our existence, so sometimes merchants and visitors come and go, but we monitor that very closely."

"How many guards will be placed around the city?"

"Two at every entry or exit point we have, about eight total at each platform, and ten guarding the royal family, including myself and Yarick. Our Sargent watches over the city guards."

"And how many people makes up the royal family?" Yarick and Gloxia pause for a minute while they think, and he exchanges a look with Grogu.

"Not including Lady Bo-Katan, nineteen." He raises his eyebrows high and tries to give him the most exasperated look he can muster with the helmet.

"Nineteen?"

"The princes are married and have children." Gloxia points out. "Prince Owen has his wife and two children. Prince Asher has his wife and four children, so there's six. Prince Wren has a wife and one child, and then Prince Omari has his wife and one child as well. Those two are the dignitaries for the New Republic."

"That's why they don't have many children." Din realizes and they nod. "Then the former king and queen as well?"

"Yes. So in total, nineteen." Gloxia confirms, crossing her arms over her chest. Yarick chuckles.

"Amalas will most likely want you to be with them, so we will at least have someone closer to them than we will be." Yarick says, making Din raise his eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?" Gloxia snorts, rubbing her forehead with her fingers tiredly.

"I'm too tired to explain _that_." She looks at Yarick pointedly.

"Obviously, you and Amalas have grown close. She's holding close to her side not only because of the child, but because she's courting you. I hope you've noticed despite that tin can on your head."

Din gulps quietly, remaining quiet. Gloxia clears her throat, noticing his discomfort and changes the subject.

"Anyway, any pointers on how we could increase security?" He destroys the thoughts that bubble up in his brain, and looks over the city carefully.

"Amalas said there's three weeks until the festival. If you can increase the levels of the administration security up until the festival, double checking every identification and transponder that comes in and out, you should be good." He points to the palace. "As for the back of the palace, since the platform is in the back, if someone did land unnoticed, they'd be able to take the palace easily. You may have armor, but I've seen what just five people can do if they're skilled enough. Increase those guards to at least fifteen and make it thicker towards the doors. I'll show you a layout of what I think the posts should look like." They nod, and Gloxia throws Yarick an impressed look.

"Okay, Mando. We'll try it your way. See how it works before the festival." Gloxia nods at him. "I like you already." Yarick snorts a bit.

"Okay." The captain mutters. Gloxia stares blankly at Yarick for a minute before nodding her head towards the other side of the platform, suddenly looking serious.

"Can we talk for a minute?" She asks, and Yarick nods, following her to the other side, leaving him and Grogu to wonder what that was just about. Grogu coos up at him, Din looking down at him with a hidden smile. He lays his hand on top of his kid's head before looking back up to look at the captain and lieutenant as they talked quietly. He narrows his eyes when he sees the concern cross over Yarick's face as Gloxia explains something to him. Yarick's eyebrows furrow, and his eyes get dark as he runs a hand down his face.

Din wonders if it's about Amalas. After what Yarick told him last night about Amalas's past, he wondered if she ever had nightmares about her time in the Clone Wars. Was that they were talking about? Gloxia did have the night shift, so it was possible she could've heard something last night.

He was projecting into the Force again, because he hears the sad coo and he looks down to see his ears drooped as he looks up at Din sadly.

"Sorry." He whispers quietly, gently rubbing his thumb across his head. He makes a noise before they turn their attention back to Yarick and Gloxia as they pause their conversation, seeming to listen to something. They must have communication links in their helmets because Yarick says something that looks like he was confirming something. Then they turn and and walk back to him.

"Come on, Mando. Gloxia is off-duty now, but we need to go see the queen."

"Is everything alright?" He asks, but Yarick is already heading toward the stairs.

"I'll explain on the way."

* * *

They took a small speeder from the watchtower down a road that connected from the tower to the road leading into the forest from the palace. Din frowns.

"Why are we going to the arena?"

"You will see." Yarick doesn't look at him, staring straight ahead as they fly down the road to the arena. Din wonders what the hell is going on, but he figures he'll have his answer soon. He sets his hand on top of Grogu's head comfortingly, hoping the action eases a little bit of tension.

They arrive at the arena in a short matter of time, disembarking from the speeder and heading into the arena. Instead of going straight towards the lift, they turn left and head down a curving hallway until they come to double doors that slide open and they enter an armory area. Armor, weapons, shields and other items line the walls, but Yarick keeps walking to the far end, where another set of double doors slide open, opening up to the arena's floor.

He barely has time to sidestep before a cauterized droid comes flying in, but Yarick sidestepped easily, and then begin to walk out onto the arena floor. Din stares at the droid as it sparks, before following Yarick, his hand on his blaster for defense. Grogu sunk deeper into his pouch, cooing worriedly.

The sight, to say the least, was not what he expected. White lightsabers were a blur as they tore through droid after droid, sometimes they were pushed away by the Force, other times they were brought forth and cut in half. There were dozens of what looked like repurposed battle droids on the field, and before his eyes, the ones who had been destroyed were slowly piecing themselves back together to stand once again. Well, that was his worst nightmare come true.

Amalas, to say the least, was one's worst nightmare. Boy was he glad he was on her side. Her face was blank as she tore through group after group of droids, moving with such natural agility and speed, that Din honestly feels a little scared. She's dressed in her all black robes again, but this time she has pure silver vambraces on her forearms and the back of her hands. Her hair is in a bun, strands hanging in her hair from the fighting. She's a sight, a terrifying yet beautiful sight.

Din takes a step forward, as if he was going to rush in there to help her as a droid comes up behind her, raising its electrified baton high. Panic flares before the droid freezes, the end of her right lightsaber appearing through its back. Din lowers his hand away from his blaster, watching in almost mesmerization as she fights.

Din looks over at Yarick when he hears him sigh. The captain sets his spear against the wall before walking out onto the floor calmly. Din had to admire the balls on the captain, 'cause he didn't feel safe even from here.

Yarick calmly walks through the destruction, not even pausing to side step anything that flies in his direction, and then comes to a stop about four feet away from her. Amalas whirls around, her sabers stopping several inches away from his neck.

"Stop fighting session." Yarick commands, his voice carrying across the arena, and the droids power down, the session ending. Amalas pants heavily, the sabers powering down as she straightens.

"Are you mad? I could have killed you!"

"But you didn't." Yarick says, his voice softer, but still stern. "Amalas, this isn't healthy."

"I am fine."

"No, you are not." Amalas glares at him, and he gestures towards the arena. "How long have you been at this?" She shrugs.

"About three hours." A female voice says over the speakers. "She hasn't stopped." Amalas throws a glare in the direction of the box seats.

"You _need_ to take a break." Yarick says.

"I do not need to do anything. I would like to be left alone for the day."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Yarick says slowly and carefully, "your health is more important. As your captain I have the responsibility of ensuring you are taking care of yourself."

Amalas remains quiet at that, her grip around her sabers tight. Din bites his lower lip, taking a step forward.

"What if you spar me instead?" They turn their heads to him, and Yarick raises his eyebrow. "A couple matches, at least." Grogu makes a worried noise up at him.

"Mando-"

"Just to relieve some tension. It might be better than the droids." Din gestures to all the powered down droids, and he sees a flash of gratitude cross over Amalas's face.

"Two matches." Yarick says. " _Two._ " Yarick turns, giving a command and at once all the droids turn back on, then walk back to their barracks in an orderly fashion. They walk back to the armory while the droids clear the floor and he starts to get ready. Amalas hooks her sabers on her belt and crosses her arms, looking at him curiously.

"You sure you want to fight me?" Amalas asks softly as he pulls the satchel strap over his head.

"Of course. I even brought my staff." She gives him a worried look, raising her eyebrow. "It'll be okay, plus, I only was able to block a couple of attacks from Ahsoka. I want to go against a Jedi at full strength without being surprised attacked. It'll be interesting." She snorts.

"Okay." He gently hands Grogu over to Yarick, the kid cooing softly up at the captain.

"Watch him. He might try to run off on you." Yarick raises his eyebrows high before looking down at the kid, who stares back with the same look. Amalas giggles lightly before walking out to the field. He follows her until they're in the middle, and she takes her sabers off her belt and ignites. He grips his staff, glad he brought it along with his jetpack. She cracks her head, smiling prettily, but there's something predatory about it, too.

"Alright, Mando. Let's see what you are capable of."

"Let's set some rules, first off." She purses her lips.

"What?"

"If I win, you have to relax for the rest of the day." She rolls her eyes, making him frown. "If you win, we can have another match. Sound good?" She's quiet for a few while staring at him, before she nods.

"Alright then. I agree."

With that, she launches her first attack. It's so fast that he almost doesn't block it in time, before he's blocking a flurry of swings. He remembers the sounds from Ahsoka's battle on Corvus, but it was different now that he was holding the staff.

Amalas backs off enough where he can get readjusted, and they circle for a few minutes before he lunges, going for a swing at her knees, but she jumps, flying over him and landing behind him. He turns quickly, blocking with a quick move of the staff, before kicking her back with his boot. She skids, stabbing a saber into the ground to stop herself, and she goes back a few feet before she pulls the saber out with a quick move of her wrist and then runs at him at full speed. She's almost a blur, something he can't quite make out until she's right in front of him, pushing her sabers down on his staff hard. The image of the shield breaking pops into his mind and he grunts, swiping his leg and making her fall. Then he backs away, twirling the staff in his hand as she gets up quickly.

"Nice one." She comments, twirling her saber as she smiles at him. "Very impressive, for never having fought a Jedi before."

"There's always room for improvement." He huffs out, hoping his breathlessness didn't go through the modulator. She chuckles.

"Okay. Here's your improvement."

She thrusts out her hand and he flies into the wall behind him, and he hears a crack as he makes contact with it. He falls, gasping in pain, his staff clattering away. Din barely has time to react when her sabers are on him, and he lifts his arms in time to block, the sabers pressing down forcefully, his arms straining against the weight. How strong was she!?

He pushes back, lifting his leg and kicking her back, managing to stand while she orients herself before blocking her strikes again with his arms, shocked at the barrage of attacks. He can feel the tension from her, the way her muscles are tight, the way her features are focused as if she was attacking an enemy. He blocks her sabers with his left arm, his arm struggling against her strength, before he thrusts out his right arm and wraps his cable around her left wrist, yanking roughly. Amalas lets out a yelp at that, breaking her attack, the left saber flying out of her hand and rolling a few feet away, shutting off in the process. He kicks her away again, detaching the cable before doing a quick barrel roll away from her and grabbing the saber quickly before she can, igniting it and taking a defensive stance. The heat from the battle and from her sabers has himself sweat, making it sticky underneath the layers of his clothes.

"Impressive." She pants out, her chest heaving, her eyes flicking all over his body and making him feel things he really shouldn't when he's in the middle of a battle. He gives a nod in thanks, glancing at the white blade carefully. He wondered how it was created briefly before she attacks, knocking those thoughts out of his mind so he can focus.

Surprisingly, the hilt of the saber is heavy, but well balanced, and he's happy he was able to train with his staff before this. Amalas smirks at him, shoving him back before hopping away.

"Shall we make this a little more interesting?" She asks, twirling her blade mesmerizingly.

"How so?" Din asks, gripping the hilt tightly. She raises her free hand in the air.

"Turn on air blocks." The holographic air blocks shimmer before appearing in the air, gently floating, and Din smirks below his helmet. She had her Force powers, he had his jetpack. This _would_ be interesting.

Amalas smirks at him before backflipping onto the lowest one, pointing her blade at him, her hips shifting to the side as she looks down at him.

"Well, Mando? Come get me."

Din growls quietly under his breath before launching at her with his jetpack, swinging the blade down and hitting hers fiercely. Then he backs away, landing on the third platform and basically giving a motion that says 'come for it'. Amalas quickly follows him, landing on the same platform, their sabers humming, almost pulsing with excitement. The adrenaline that was coursing through his body was astounding. Previous battles of course he would be adrenaline boosted, but now was different. Everyone he fought before were bounty hunters, bounties, or anybody who had a problem with him. The brief interaction with Ahsoka was all he had with a Jedi, but now that he was fighting a fully grown, capable, strong woman, to say the least, it was exciting and terrifying.

The platform is big enough where they have enough room to walk, and seeing her like this makes him start to form a plan. The strands of her hair that became disheveled stick to her skin with the sweat she's worked up, her chest was heaving and she looked wrecked.

Din had a few other ideas on how he could get her to look that way without the fighting.

"Growing up in the covert taught you well." Amalas comments. "Despite not knowing who the Jedi are, you fight me quite well."

"There's lessons in everything, especially with the unknown."

"True." They stop, facing each other carefully before she thrusts out both her hands and sends him off the platform. Din manages to catch himself with his jetpack, about five feet off the ground, and he flies up to point the saber at her.

"That was dirty." He exclaims.

"Who said it was dirty? I did not know I could not use my powers."

Din huffs.

"I see Jedi don't play very fair often."

"Fair?" She laughs. "Okay, fine, no powers."

Amalas takes a few noticeable steps back and he's about to ask what she's doing before she launches herself off the platform and he doesn't have time to react at the stunt. Amalas plows into him and Din loses control of the jetpack, and they spiral down, landing roughly on the ground. The sabers are knocked away from them, landing who knows where.

Din groans quietly, pushing himself up, pushing his cape to his back, looking around to see where Amalas landed, and he furrows his eyebrows when he can't find her.

"Behind you."

The whisper is barely a warning before he's tackled and the two roll roughly in the dirt, stopping and she manages to straddle him down, and _oh dear Maker,_ he shouldn't feel this way in this kind of situation. Din can't dwell on it because she launches into an attack of punches, he can hardly block them. It's not that he's afraid of getting injuries, but the sound of metal on metal comes to his attention. Is she wearing beskar vambraces? It made sense, considering her heritage, but he knows that it's not good for her hands.

Finally, after multiple blows, he lifts up his legs, planting his feet to the ground before lunging up and wrapping his arms around her torso, tackling her to the ground. They roll once more, and as she struggles to get away from him, he wraps his left hand around her wrist, tugging her back roughly before wrapping his right arm around her neck and pulling her against his chest, increasing the pressure around her throat quickly. Her right hand shoots up, her left immobile, and he feels her hand claw at his arm as he holds her. The holo countdown starts, and he can feel her hand wrap around his elbow, her nails digging through his garments. Her body stiffens and struggles against him, and he squeezes his eyes shut as the countdown ends, releasing her and letting her fall to her knees.

Amalas gasps for breath, her hand rubbing her throat. Din falls back on his butt, breathing heavily, tiredness flooding his body.

"Asshole." She coughs out.

"How am I the asshole?" He huffs back.

"You know why."

"The fu-" She whips around and lands a good punch to his helmet, knocking him sideways. She shakes out her hand, before collapsing on her knees. He points at her. "Now that was an asshole move."

"You deserved it." She says, tiredness leaking in her voice.

"Oh, really? That's rude." She makes a face at him before they hear a loud coo, turning their heads to see Grogu running at them as fast as he can. He smiles as he almost trips, but manages to reach him, landing against his thigh, looking up at him worriedly.

"I'm okay, kid. Just tired." He coos softly, looking up at Amalas as she pushes off her knee to stand.

"I am fine, child." She says soothingly. "Tired as well." He watches her stand slowly, holding her hands close to her chest. He furrows his eyebrows, before a thin line of blood slides down her arm.

"You're bleeding." He says dumbly. Of course she was bleeding. She was just hitting his beskar helmet with her knuckles, of course she was going to be bleeding.

"I'm fine." She replies quietly, and then starts pretty much limping toward the armory doors. He picks Grogu up, standing and watching her leave.

_Damn it._

Amalas leaves before he can go after her, and he looks down at his kid, his plan circulating in his head. Yarick comes to stand next to him, another guard in bronze armor find her side as they leave. He hears the captain sigh, and looks over at him.

"It was an impressive fight." Yarick says, walking over and picking up Din's staff. He extends it out to him and he takes it, watching Yarick look around for the lightsabers.

"You don't think she's mad at me, do you?" Yarick sighs, shaking his head, bending down and picking one up off the ground.

"Amalas was tired. I could see it in her movements."

"Didn't look tired to me."

"To someone who doesn't know her that well yet." Okay, what did he mean by _yet_? Yarick finds the other lightsaber by the wall, picking that one up and clipping them onto his belt before walking back up to Din.

"I should go apologize."

"You won fair and square, Mando. There's nothing to apologize for, but..." He purses his lips. "Amalas should have some company right now. She shouldn't be alone."

* * *

They returned to the palace, and Din found a maidservant and asked her if she would mind taking Grogu and keeping him occupied for a little bit. The servant perked up at that question and took him, saying she would watch him carefully. He thanked her, then slowly begin to make his way up to her floor.

Din's mind was focused on just getting there and nothing else as he walked down the hallway to her room. The hallway was deserted, her doors closed, but it didn't stop him. It fueled him even more so.

Din stood outside the door for a minute to orient himself, taking a deep breath before opening the door slowly. He slides in silently, closing it quietly behind him. He spots her vambraces and forearm sleeves on the chest that sits against the footboard of the bed, her boots lopsided on the side of the chest. He really didn't take in the room when he was there previously, so he takes his chance now. To his right is a larger common room with a balcony like his, and the couch crescents to view outside. There's a shelf full of books, then on the bottom two where shelves should be, were drawers with small buttons to open them. A large dark red rug with teal and gold designs sat on top of the dark hardwood floor in the space between the common area and bed. A large rectangular window was in between the shelf and the bed. The bed itself was large, considering it was the royal quarters, the bedspread a dark red with light blue details throughout the length and width and gold trimming. Two end tables were on each side of the bed. To his left was a curving wall, where an arched doorway led into a dark room. There was one chest directly next to him, about waist height, and the other dresser was by the fresher door, also waist height. The walls were a light blue, accenting the dark brown floor quite well.

Din swallows thickly as Amalas appears in the doorway of the fresher, clumsy dressings wrapped around her knuckles, her hair down from her bun. _Oh, shit._ Amalas stops short when she sees him, raising her eyebrow before continuing into the room, avoiding his gaze as he tracks her.

"What do you need?" She asks shortly, and he narrows his eyes. What was with the sudden attitude? Was she mad because she lost? If so, damn.

Din reaches behind him and locks the doors, eyeing her carefully when she stops at the footboard of the bed, furrowing her own eyebrows at him, having heard the locks' noises.

"What-"

"Take it off," his voice is deep, gruff, and he takes an imposing step forward, "or I will."

Her eyes widen, and she noticeably gulps, a deep red blush tinting her ears and cheeks beautifully. Amalas looks taken back, and he smirks under his helmet, proud. He knew the effect his voice had on people, it wasn't a hidden thing, and he knew from his first encounter with Cobb Vanth that the sentence he just spoke would most likely have a profound effect on whoever he felt necessary to use it on next.

Amalas doesn't move. He shifts on his feet, stretching his fingers out, making the leather squeak slightly.

"I won't ask again."

After another second of hesitation, she slowly reaches up to her belt and unclasps it from the back, throwing it on the chest behind her before reaching up, and he notices her hands slightly shaking with the effort. Her hands must be hurting now that the adrenaline wore off. She pulls apart her robes piece by piece until she's standing in a pool of black, having taken off everything including underwear, she was completely bare before him. She holds her hands in front of her, suddenly looking vulnerable and almost tiny as she stands there, watching him as he watches her.

"Go start the shower." He commands and she closes her eyes briefly, inhaling before quickly going into the fresher, and he lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He hears water start and he slowly starts taking off his gear and armor. Din leans the staff against the wall, then disengages the jetpack from his back and sets it down carefully on the floor next to the staff, then starts stripping down, making sure his clothes are semi neat along with his armor. Finally, he pulls off his helmet and sets it carefully on the dresser next to him, taking an inhale of the room. It smells good, not like her scent, but still, it soothes him enough to walk to the fresher without shaking.

The fresher has white flooring, walls, and the sink right in the middle of the room is even white with gold handles for the drawers next to it. To his right is the bathtub, and then to his right was a large walk in shower, and in between the shower and sink is a white vacctube, but it's shaped differently than what he remembered. He doesn't really pay attention, looking over at the shower instead. Amalas was poking her foot in to see the temperature, holding her hands to her chest. He notices the red spots bleeding through on them, and he frowns deeply.

"Not hot yet." She says without looking over her shoulder, having sensed his presence beforehand.

"That's fine. Come here." She dries her foot on the mat on the floor by the shower and walks over to him as he stops at the sink to look at the med-kit she had been working with. "Why didn't you go get these checked out?" Amalas shrugs slightly, making him frown at her.

"I just did not want to inconvenience anyone." Din gives her a look of disbelief, then shakes his head, extending his hand and gesturing for her hands. He knows how stubborn he can be sometimes, but even he had a breaking point of when he realized he needed help. This woman was a different story.

"Let me see." Amalas raises her hands and he gently takes her right in his hand, holding the tips of her fingers down as he unwraps the clumsy bandages. Once they're off, he drops them in the trashcan he sees in between the tube and sink, having to lean over the sink to do so. Din feels her eyes track him as he moves, wondering if she's trying to gauge what he's trying to do. Din repeats it with the other hand, then gently guides her hands underneath the faucet of the sink to run warm water over the knuckles. She flinches at the contact before relaxing and she keeps her hands under the water as he finds a cloth to dry them. Once he does, he goes through the kit and finds a small syringe of bacta, a tub of bacta, scissors and a new roll of bandages. He picks up the syringe, figuring it would give her more energy and heal her quicker. He gently wipes the side of her arm with the cloth before pressing the needle into her skin and releasing the shot before retracting it and throwing it away after capping it. Then he gently guides her hands out of the water, shutting it off and picks up the towel to dry them. He's careful, glancing up at her face for any signs of pain, but she's quiet and blank-faced through it all. Well, she did fight in a war. Din figured Amalas knew how to hide pain if necessary.

"Get in the shower." She glances at him before cradling her hands to her chest, walking over to the shower and testing the temperature once more with her foot before stepping in, dipping her head under the water and sighing softly as the water hits her. What a sight she makes, Din thinks to himself. He shakes his head slightly, wrapping up the kit neatly before following her, stepping in behind her and wrapping his arms carefully around her, laying his forehead against her shoulder gently. Amalas releases a shaky breath, her muscles tense against him.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What?"

"Are you mad at me because I beat you?"

"No, Din. I am not mad." He lifts his head, laying his chin on her shoulder instead, shifting slightly so he can kiss the side of her neck, and he feels a shiver run up her body.

"You were amazing out there." He whispers against her neck, placing his hands flat against the smooth abs on her belly, slightly pushing her against him. "But we're going to relieve all that tension of yours _my way._ " He gently bites down and she stiffens against him oh so perfectly, releasing a quiet gasp that spurs him on. He moves forward down her neck a bit, kissing it softly and she tilts her head, making him grin to himself before kissing the spot once more before latching on, sucking hard and pulling softly with his teeth. Din feels her hand fly up, grabbing into his hair and tugging as her body spasms against him, her noises awakening something almost primal in him. He sucks for a couple more seconds before pulling away and she slumps against him, panting. A perfect, dark bruise looked absolutely gorgeous against her pale skin, and he smiles to himself, proud of himself in a way. After she left him five love bites last time, it was time he returned the action.

"Din..." She says, her voice soft and almost broken.

"Shh..." Din slides his hands to her hips, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. "You're amazing, taking care of everyone's needs, but never taking care of your own. You're always in control. It's time to give up that control for today." Amalas trembles against him and she swallows thickly.

"I... W-What do you mean?" He takes a small step back so he can turn her to face him, lifting his hands and cupping her face, running a thumb over her lips.

"Let me take care of you, _my queen._ " He murmurs softly, and the sound she lets out is a mix between a moan and a gasp. Din smiles, gently pulling her toward him and kissing her softly, and Amalas wraps her arms around his neck, kissing back with the same amount of softness. He moves his hands away from her face, lowering them to her curves and pressing his left hand to her low back, the other drifting to her front. She lets out a quiet moan as he rubs his fingers over her, her fingers sliding into his curls and tangling in them. Din breaks away from her lips, making her whine, before it melts away as he starts kissing down her jaw, then her throat, and finally to her neck, kissing around it before finding another spot, and he kisses three times in the spot before beginning to suck simultaneously as he pressed one finger into her.

"O-Oh! Fuck, Din!" She tangles her hands into his hair, her moans and gasps, making his stomach churn with fire, bumps breaking out on his skin. He moves his finger out, sliding along her folds as he gently bites before pull away, admiring the color already forming.

"Gorgeous..." He mumbles, licking his lips, and she gulps quietly, watching him as he kisses down her collarbone to her breasts before slowly kneeling as he moves down her stomach. He slides his left hand away from her back, laying his hand on her stomach, on her pelvis. Din presses a kiss on her mound before tapping her legs once on each, and she parts her legs enough to give him access.

"Why are you so beautiful?" He asks, but it's more to himself than to her. Din slides one hand down her folds, before rubbing circles and she gasps, her thighs tightening at the feeling before he pushes two fingers into her, staring up at her to watch her reaction. Amalas lets out a surprised moan, her head tilting back as her left hand finds his hair and the other finds stability on the wall.

Maker, what a beautiful being.

"Feel good?" He asks, his voice hoarse.

"Yes, Din, fuck yes." Din chuckles at her language, moving his fingers in and out gently and slowly. Despite the pace, she still lets out moans that he swallows up for himself, and he resists taking her right there. Instead, he focuses on her, thrusting his fingers slightly faster, twisting his hand so he can curl his fingers toward him ever so slightly, and her legs spasm in the most beautiful way he's ever seen. He continues the pace, sometimes picking it up, sometimes so teasingly slow her hips try to move against him, yet she resists. Din admires the control she has. With how he was working, he was sure she would've gotten impatient. But no, she lets him pleasure her, making him smile and press a kiss on her inner thigh.

"Good girl..." Amalas lets out a gasp, her hand tightening in his hair, and she trembles violently and he can feel her tighten around his fingers. He watches breathlessly, admiring the way she shook as she came down from her high. He gently pulls out his fingers, making her _whimper_ and he lets out a noise that sounds like a choked groan. Din looks at his fingers, noticing the shiny coat on them, glancing up at her to see her staring at him with a hooded look, and he smirks, slowly bringing his fingers up to his mouth and gently licking them clean, all while staring straight at her.

"Fuck." She whispers as she watches him. "Din..." He stands, wrapping his arms around her and pushing them under the water stream, making her gasp slightly as the water hits them, before she reaches and runs her fingers through his wet hair, pushing it back and smiling at him.

"Why are you so handsome?" She asks, a playful tone to her voice. He smiles, kissing her forehead softly, then her nose, then brushes his lips over hers teasingly, and she chases after him, impatient. He laughs slightly but gives in, kissing her softly, his hands wrapping around the smallest part of her body, and he makes a surprised noise when she rakes her nails down his shoulders, down his arms before returning to his hair, her lips never leaving his.

They pull away, her hands sliding down and her nails gently scratch against his stubble before he gently takes her wrist, kissing her palm before turning her hand over and smiling. The bruising and cuts were almost completely gone.

"Bacta is a lifesaver." He comments and she giggles sweetly.

"I would have taken the shot myself, but, you know." She shrugs nonchalantly, and Din rolls his eyes. He finds what looks like a shampoo bottle, hopefully that's what it was, considering it was in a different language that he didn't know, and since Amalas didn't stop him, he assumed it was correct. She dips her head under the water, coating her hair before coming back out, wiping her face with her fingers as he squeezes a good amount into his palm, clicking it shut before making a twirling motion with his finger. Amalas turns around, and he rubs the shampoo between his hands before gently working it through her hair, and even without the shampoo, it was soft. He works it through her hair before gently massaging her scalp and she lets out a quiet sigh of pleasure.

"You... You are really good at this..." She says, her voice quiet, and he realizes he's slowly getting that tension to release. Din doesn't say anything in response, stretching out her hair to coat it completely, and he realized how long her hair is, furrowing his eyebrows.

"How long is your hair?" He asks.

"When wet, to my waist. Dried and natural, maybe here...?" She reaches and manages to touch a spot about three inches about her waist.

"Your hair curls?"

"Yes? I thought you knew this?"

"I... Thought it was done by hand." Amalas laughs.

"I can assure you, my hair is naturally curly."

Oh.

_Oh._

Din holds back _that_ thought, gently pushing her shoulders so she steps forward and he can wash the shampoo out. He notices an identical sized bottle next to the shampoo and points at it.

"You use that one, too?"

"Yes." He takes it and squeezes a thicker liquid into his palm, then rubs it together and combs it through her hair once more. Then he rinses that out, running his fingers through carefully to make sure it was all out, and it had made her hair so silky soft, that he lets out a quiet sigh at the texture.

"Alright, all done." She turns back around, running her hands down her hair before nodding at him.

"Your turn." Din smiles briefly before turning around, tilting his head back under the water. It feels good, especially after the fight. He hears the bottle click twice before her hands are in his hair, and he melts against her touch, his body becoming numb as she touches him lovingly and attentively. She copies his action, massaging his scalp to work the shampoo in and he lets out a soft moan at the feeling. She makes no comment, continuing for a couple of minutes before gently washing his hair out. He turns around and pulls her close, kissing her gently, her right hand cupping his cheek, the other laying on his chest. They pull away, pressing their foreheads together, her sigh quiet.

"You're amazing..." Amalas whispers, and he smiles, shutting his eyes as they stand there fore a few minutes.

They wash each other with a really good smelling soap that's different from his, and the act is so intimate and loving it doesn't really feel sexual, just a simple action of intimacy. By the time they get out of the shower, her knuckles are completely healed. Damn, he loved bacta. They're quiet as they dry off, but then he turns to her as she scrunches her hair with the towel, her eyes flicking over to him.

"I'm going to go to the bed." He says, his voice firm, and he notices how her body tightens at the tone. "Come out when you're ready." Din presses a kiss to her cheek before heading out, continuing to dry off his body before sitting on the bed, allowing himself to breathe. Okay, so relaxing her was going great so far. Hopefully, she didn't get cold feet now, and hopefully, _he_ didn't get cold feet.

Din waits patiently for about five minutes before she comes out of the bathroom, standing in the doorway almost shyly. He smile at her invitingly, standing and extending his arms out. Amalas walks up to him, sliding her arms around his neck and burying her face into his neck as his arms wrap tightly around her waist, his face burying into her shoulder. They stand like that for a few minutes before Din turns them around, pulling away slightly.

"Get on the bed." Din whispers, and she obeys, pulling away and sitting down on it before crawling back to the middle and he follows, watching her move like a loth-cat. Amalas swallows slightly as she parts her legs so he can crawl in between them, and he watches her face carefully for any discomfort.

"You okay?" He asks softly. She nods.

"Just... New to this." He tilts his head and she seems to struggle with her words. "Giving up control, I mean." Din nods in understanding.

"You're doing okay?" She reaches up and cups his face, smiling softly.

"Yes." He lowers and kisses her, settling on his knees and sliding his hands down her chest, taking her breasts in his hands, making her moan against his mouth. He slides his thumbs over her nipples, teasing them briefly before continuing down, sliding his hands up her hips as their mouths move in sync. Then Din shifts, wrapping his left arm around her thigh, adjusting her body to shift down a bit more, making her gasp a bit and break their kiss, and she looks down to watch him. He shifts his hips forward, taking himself in his hand and giving it a few pumps.

"I knew you were big," she says, breathless, "but _damn,_ you are packing. No wonder you walk like that." Din chuckles lowly, gently rubbing the head along her folds, making her toes curl at the action. He smiles a bit.

"Ready?" Amalas swallows, licking her lips as she stares down at it, before nodding.

"Yes, _cyare._ " Oh, finally! He thought he was going to burst when she says that, and he gently pushes in, taking his time. It had been about a week since their first night, and oh _boy did it feel good._

Din lets out a moan as he pushes in, watching in amazement as she takes him. He looks up at her, watching her face for any discomfort, but all he sees is pleasure. Amalas had tilted her head back into the pillows, and the two bites he left flexed as she breathed heavily. Her lips are red and parted, her eyes shut as she takes him. Din finally presses flush against her, and he catches himself before he collapses on top of her, and he feels her hand fly to his hip as she feels the pressure.

"Oh...!" She gasps out. "There, right there...!" Din grins to himself, orienting himself before finding a good grip on her leg and the steadiness on the bed, before pulling out about halfway before pushing back in, faster this time. Her body jerks pleasantly, her hands trying to find a hold on something, and they land on the pillow under her head, her knuckles turning white as she holds it. Din figured since she'd been so focused on pleasuring him their first night she forgot to pay attention to her own pleasure, and now, today was all about her.

Din groans, squeezing his eyes shut at the feeling of being inside her. She's tight and warm and so pleasantly wet, and he fits so well. It sounds weird to say it, but he does. And he can't help but saying it out loud either.

"You take me so well..." Din praises as he pulls out slowly, teasingly, making her let out a strangled moan. "So fucking good, Amalas... You take me so good..." He punctuates it with several thrusts and she moans almost brokenly, and he can feel her muscles tighten in her thighs.

"Perfect for me..." He says, snapping his hips again. "And _only_ me." Amalas's grip around her pillows tighten, her eyes rolling back, and then the smell hits him. Oh, he forgot about her dang pheromones! They attack his senses, sending him into overload.

He starts a fast yet steady pace, her noises matching perfectly. They're short and breathy, but so perfect. Din adjusts his grip around her leg so he can lean forward, kissing down her neck, finding another spot on her collarbone to leave another bite. The combination has her moaning louder, and he can feel the way her body starts to let go as she loses control. He manages to get two more bites in, his thrusts becoming faster and harder against her as he presses his lips to her jugular, feeling her fast pulse with his lips.

"D-in! I... I-I'm-" Her legs wrap around his waist, pulling him tight against her, and he can't even be mad at the limited movement because the action feels so good. He grabs onto her hips, thrusting as fast and short as he can and she lets out a cry, tightening around him so perfectly, and after a couple of thrusts, he follows, biting down on her shoulder as he presses hard against her, his body tight. Amalas lets out what sounds like a mix between a sob and a moan, her hips pressing against his, as if she wasn't getting all of him, like they weren't touching enough.

Slowly, they calm down, but he doesn't pull out. He's still hard, and he's not done. Din hopes she's not, hoping the smell helps her, too, and as he gently pulls his face away from her shoulder, she's staring at the canopy of the bed, a dazed expression on her face. Her hair is sprawled out under her so beautifully she looks like a painting. Din lifts his hand up, ignoring the shaking it does, and cups her face gently.

"You okay?" He asks, the shakiness evident in his voice. Amalas flicks her eyes to him, her lips parting as she lets out a breathless sigh, leaning into his hand.

"You have some audacity to ask me that after just railing me." Din chuckles.

"So are you done?"

"Do I look like I finish after one round?" Din grins devilishly, picking himself up, and pulling out slowly, leaving only the tip in, smirking down at her before thrusting back in, making her back arch beautifully, a loud moan breaking through.

"You feel so amazing..." He pants out, picking up his speed. "Fucking perfect...!"

"At the rate-" She gasps out, and he internally frowns at the fact she's still able to speak. "We're going-oh-we might have-ah-an heir soon...! Fuck!"

Din doesn't know what the hell it was.

But something inside him snapped.

His eyes trail down from her face down to her beautiful flat belly as it tightens with his movements. Suddenly, he's aware of everything; the way her legs tighten every time he hits that spot that sends a shock down his own legs, and he can't imagine what it does to her, her hand fisting the comfort, the way her breasts moved with the movements, her head tilted back, her lips parted as noises left her.

Din's vision almost whites out at the vision that comes to mind, and he growls lowly, his right hand sliding up her belly to her neck, and she sucks in a rough breath as she feels the pressure, her toes curling as his fingers teasingly tighten around the sides of her neck.

"You'd look so fucking gorgeous with my baby..." She lets out a gasp at that as his hand tightens around her neck ever so slightly before he moves it away, sliding two fingers in between her breasts before pressing his hand flat on her belly. "All big and round with _my_ child..."

"D-Din-" She breaks off in a moan as he thrusts roughly, still staring down at her stomach. The feeling just grows more and more, and he looks up at her again, sliding his right back up to her neck, grabbing her leg roughly and pushing it forward, admiring her flexibility. She lets out a strangled moan at the new position.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, my queen?" He purrs out, and he feels her tighten around him, making him grin. "You wanna be filled until you have my baby? I'll fill you up nice and good...!"

Din doesn't give her the chance to speak, tightening his grip on her throat every time he thrusts deep, and her noises are broken, short, _wrecked._ He picks it up, feeling the ache grow more and more until she lets out a strangled cry, tightening around him again, and as he presses his hips firmly against hers, he tightens his hand around her throat and spills.

Din lets her leg go, gently pulling it back down before laying on top of her, releasing his hold around her throat, and he's relieved she's still conscious. Amalas lifts her hand that was fisted in the comforter and tangles it in his hair, and he can feel her whole body trembling. Din manages to get some coherency back inside his brain and he slowly shifts, gently pulling out, hearing her gasp quietly at the lost, before she sighs quietly as he lays his body weight against her. They lay like that for some time before she gently tugs on him, wordlessly asking him to get off. He obeys, and she gently pushes herself up, her arms trembling, before she pulls the covers down and gestures to it. He smiles, helping her pull them down before they crawl under. She cuddles up to him, laying her head on his chest, and he wraps his arm around her, pulling the blankets up with his other hand to cover them, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Amalas lets out a quiet sigh, her body now relaxed fully against him as they settle in bed.

Within a few minutes, they're asleep.


	11. "In your words, cyar'ika."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is honestly just pretty much angst in the beginning, smut and then some fluff at the end. 
> 
> Enjoy.

_The_ _sulfuric air stung her nose and lungs and eyes, making them water, but there was no way she could block it. Her mask had been taken off in a fight, blood dripping down her face from the attacks. The ash of the planet had actually managed to turn her black robes gray, and Maker, that was going to be a fucking problem to get out later. Her back was pressed up against Piper's, watching his back as he watched hers, the blaster fire hitting off her lightsabers with growing exhaustion, but she had to keep going. She had to protect her captain._

_"We can't keep this up for long!" The trooper shouted over the clanking of the droids. His fire was becoming exhausted as well, obviously trying to push through it like she was trying to as well._

_"I know! But no one is answering my calls!" She lifted her left wrist up to her mouth, one-handedly deflecting bolts as she attempted at another call. "This is Amalas Kenobi! We need immediate evac from Reoshi, we are under heavy attack! Please, someone come in!" Amalas returned to defending as they slowly spun to prevent their sides from being caught, but the droids just kept coming and coming and coming. They didn't seem to let up whatsoever, and the more they increased, the more energy decreased from them._

_"Kill the clone, but take the Jedi!"_

_Amalas thrusted out her hands, knocking down a wave of droids, but an even thicker cluster seemed to take their place. She heard a yelp behind her and turned around quickly as a blaster bolt hits Piper in the shoulder, making him quickly turn around to shoot at the droid, before she feels metallic hands clamp around her shoulders, pulling her down roughly and pinning her to the ground, her lightsabers knocking away from her hands as her face slams into the ash covered ground, scraping it even more before her hair is yanked, pulling her head back up as droids take Piper and drag him to his knees, his helmet getting knocked off in the process. The last thing she saw was his warm smile yet terrified brown eyes, and he mouthed something that she couldn't quite make out before blasters raised to take aim._

_"No!"_

"Piper!"

Amalas shoots up, sweat running down her face, her heart pounding against her chest, as if it was about to burst and kill her. A large hand wraps around her wrist that was behind her to hold her up and she whips around, raising her hand and almost bringing it down if not for the other hand to grab the wrist before it can, panicked eyes meeting calm yet wide brown ones.

"Amalas, hey, hey, it's just me!" Din says, but his voice sounds distant, as if she had water in her ears. He sat up quickly to wrap his right arm around her waist and pull her into his chest on his right side, her face burying into the crook of his neck as she shudders out weak, tired breaths. His right arm remains around her while his left reaches up, soothingly massaging the back of her neck before tangling his fingers in her hair and kissing the top of her head. Amalas lets out what sounds like a sob, but with the ringing in her ears she can't be sure. She can still smell a bit of the sulfur in her nose, as if it had been permanently etched into her sinuses, before it's replaced by the faint undertones of what smells like firewood, and her own body soap. Immediately, she pushes her nose into his neck, inhaling the scent as much as she can to override the sulfur smell, her body's tension slowly and painfully leaking out.

Din slowly lowers them back to laying down, still holding her just as tenderly, but this time his fingers comb through her curls, occasionally catching, but never causing pain. His right hand curls and he starts gently rolling his knuckles on her spine, sending little sparks of pleasure up her spine. Amalas wonders how a man who never let anyone into his life, never let them see behind the mask, never let anyone except for those he deemed allies to see his empathetic and soft side, can be so calming and caring for others. Talking to Grogu allowed her to see into a little bit about their short time together, how Din evolved from his quiet, isolated self into a kind, caring father figure. She wondered if the story of him rescuing him from the "big baddies" was as dramatic as Grogu described it, but Din was the famed Mandalorian bounty hunter. Of course it was as dramatic as described.

Her heart slowly begins to return to a normal rhythm as they lay there in silence and he moves his hand from her hair down to her cheek, cupping it softly but not forcing her to look up at him. Her breaths return to semi-normal, but every time she inhales it feels like her lungs are being stabbed by a million little daggers, and then his knuckles are pressing against that perfect little spot on her spine and her vision goes black for a few seconds.

They lay like that. For a while. No talking, no questions asked, just the gentle touches from a man who can break noses with a swift movement of his wrist, and a panicking, full of PTSD Jedi. Amalas didn't doubt that Din didn't have his PTSD, especially with being such a young child and taken into the Creed like that, but right now, they were just a man and woman laying in bed together, nothing tying them to the outside world.

Amalas slowly moves her face away from his neck, laying her cheek on his shoulder, and he gently loosens his grip around her to let her get comfortable before reaching and pulling the covers up a bit to cover them, before gently laying his hands on his waist while she orients herself. His skin is soft and bronze, sunkissed when the sun has hardly seen his skin, his muscles toned and strong, multiple scars spanning out across his body from years past. She reaches out slowly, her hand shaking as she lays her fingers on a jagged scar on his left side, tracing the silvery scar with her nail. She feels him shiver, smiling to herself at it.

"You feeling okay?" He whispers out softly and she adjusts her head to look up at him, draping her arm across his middle and analyzing his face as he looks down at her, worry etched into his face. His eyebrows are furrowed, creating wrinkles on his face, and he's serious and firm, with softness interlaced through it.

"Yes." She says, her voice barely a whisper. He gently reaches his right hand up, laying it on her head and looking at her with a more softer expression.

"May I... May I ask who Piper is?" She lowers her head back down, shifting a bit and he immediately backtracks. "You don't have to tell me. It's okay."

"No, I..." She swallows thickly, ignoring the annoying spring of tears that suddenly came on and lets out a shaky breath trying to center herself enough to get a small sentence out. "Piper... Piper was the captain assigned to me during the Clone Wars. We... We were really good friends." His hand immediately starts stroking her hair, and slowly, she relaxes against him.

"What happened to him?"

"We were on a recon mission on a volcanic moon." She says, her voice quiet yet surprisingly steady. "The Republic had been suspecting they were making a droid factory there, so they sent a small team that I led to investigate it. We were not to engage, just report back what we found, but they found us before we could make contact. My team was killed, and I was taken by the Separatists after they killed him in front of me." Din's grip around her becomes noticeably tighter, and she feels the swallow he takes, letting out a quiet exhale afterwards.

"I'm sorry." He whispers almost too quietly for her to hear.

"It's fine. It was a long time ago."

"Doesn't mean you still can't mourn or have grief. Just because time passed it doesn't mean you can't think about your past losses."

"Says the closed off man in beskar armor."

"Ouch. Hey, I'm trying to get better."

Amalas smiles softly, but still doesn't look at him. She can actually detect a little bit of actual hurt in his voice, but she lifts her leg and wraps it around his leg, making him shift in surprise.

"Amalas?"

"Yes?"

"When you... um... When you have a bad dream, or something triggers you, you can always come to me if you can't go to Yarick, okay? I just... Want you to know that." His voice is unsure, uneven, as if he shouldn't have just blabbered that out, but Amalas can't help the warmth that spreads throughout her body. She remains quiet, but she does let out a content sigh, a wave of comfort washing over her.

They lay in bed for quite some time before Amalas furrows her eyebrows, pushing up and looking at him, his arms lifting away from her as he looks at her with a pout.

"When you said... That you want to get me pregnant, was that the heat of the moment, or was that actually you talking?"

A dark red blush explodes on his face, tinting even his forehead. He gulps.

"I-I honestly don't remember... It was just... You said..." His eyes start to flick around nervously, pulling his hands up to his chest. "You said something about an heir and I don't know why but..." He glances down at her belly quickly, maybe hoping she wouldn't catch it, but she does. She doesn't let on though, just keeps staring at him, a tiny smile on her lips.

"I... I'm sorry." He says, his eyes wide in panic. "I didn't mean to upset you if I did, I just... It was... Oh, boy..." He pressed his hand over his eyes as he suffers, and slowly, she lifts her legs to lift over him, straddling him by the waist, making his eyes fly open and his hands fall away, looking up at her, shock all over his face.

Amalas loved helmetless Din.

She keeps her hands planted on his abs, and his hands come to settle on her thighs before she slides her right hand up her stomach and lays it there, smirking at him.

"Well, if you want to make good on that promise... Guess you will have to step it up."

His eyes go wide, his pupils dilating as he takes her in, gasping softly at the insinuation.

"You... Really? You want... You want this?"

"Honey... What did I say your first night here?" She lifts her hips just enough to push back against him, and he lets out a strangled moan. "Hm? No, that's not what what I said." She slides her left hand up his chest, between his pecs before settling around his throat and he lets out a soft gasp, a flash of surprise crossing his face briefly.

"Y-You said..." Din swallows thickly as pressure is placed and she smirks.

"In your words, _cyar'ika._ " She lifts her hips just enough to rub against the head, and he lets out a bated breath, looking up at her with a hooded gaze.

"W-When... _fuck-_ When I see- _soft_ -something I want, _I take it_." With that, he lunges forward, pinning her down on her back and pinning her legs up against his chest, a low growl that sounds like it comes from deep in his chest emitting and setting her nerves on fire. His touch is gentle yet firm, and he kisses down her jawline to her neck, making her let out quiet little noises of anticipation.

"You know," he murmurs against her skin. "I should just place a big bruise right here," he kisses up high under her jaw, on her jugular, mouthing at it as he sighs, "and make sure everyone knows that their lovely and amazing queen has taken a man like me to bed."

"Mmm... I think they'd rejoice at the fact." She replies nonchalantly, gasping when he bites gently, teasing her.

"Oh? And why's that?"

"B-Because..." She shivers as his hands trail down her curves, his touch so light but making her skin feel like it was being electrocuted. "My people like the Mandalorians- _oh-_ and if their queen married and had an heir with one, I think the whole planet would go insane at it."

"So you want to make me your husband?" He brushes his nose against her jaw, his breath hot as he exhales, and she shivers.

"Have thought about it-" She breaks off in a moan as he hovers over the spot, hesitating ever so slightly.

"Can I?" He whispers against her skin. "Please?"

"Yes, _oh fu_ _ck yes."_ He lets out a breathy moan before latching onto the spot, sucking and biting while she squirms under his grasp, her fingers curling in his hair to hold on tightly, her other hand raking her nails over his shoulder, and he knows he's going to have scratch marks later, the thought making him moan against her. He sucks for a couple of minutes before pulling away, and he lets out a shaky breath at the sight of the large purple bruise on her pale skin, in a perfect spot where not even a high collared shirt could cover it.

"Fucking gorgeous..." He comments, and she smiles, her eyes shut in bliss. He runs two fingers down the bruise lightly before lowering down to the rest of her body, cupping her breasts in his hands and gently massaging them. "You're so beautiful, my queen... In so many ways..." He kisses down her breasts, sliding his thumbs over her nipples and she shivers, letting him caress her, before she moans as he starts sucking another love bite into her left breast, then repeating with her right. It feels amazing, her back trying to arch into his touch, yet she wants to stay obedient, and another part of her wants to rebel.

Din pulls away, kissing down her belly, pressing a kiss in the middle and lingering there for a second before moving further down, his hands sliding with him. He glides his hands down her hips before placing them under her thighs and she lifts them, opening up for him.

"What a sight you make..." He purrs out, kissing up her thighs and legs and totally avoiding where she wanted him to touch the most. "So beautiful... So strong..." She flexes her thighs as he massages the muscles before relaxing, a moan slipping through her lips. Din kisses down her left leg, ending with a kiss on her ankle bone before turning it over to look at the tattoo he remembered seeing the other day. It was the symbol of the Rebellion, he recognized, because Cara had the same symbol on her cheek. He makes a mental note to ask about it later.

Din kisses it softly before moving to her right leg, kissing up the leg instead of down. Once he reaches her inner thighs, he kisses softly before putting two bites on one leg and then two identical bites on the other. He holds her legs still as she twitches, her hands scrambling to find some sort of hold on the blankets below her while he kisses her and loves her. After he's finished worshipping her thighs, he moves just a few inches up and licks his lips, flicking his eyes up to look at her face. She's blissed out, her hands having relaxed a little bit on the comforter, her head tilted to the side as she pants through her lips, her eyes shut with her hair sprawled out under her like some sort of erotic painting.

Din gives himself a mental pat on the back, but he's not finished with her yet.

"Beautiful." He murmurs to himself, gently pushing her thighs further apart, admiring her flexibility once again. She lets out a shuddered gasp as he blows a hot breath over her, before it turns into a moan as he gently licks a stripe up, stopping at her clit and gently sucking on it.

"Oh!" She gasps and before he knows it, her right hand is in his hair, the other balling the comforter into her fist, and her thighs come to wrap around his shoulders, tightening around his neck. He lets out a surprised grunt at that. Din can hardly move his head like this, but it's so sexy he doesn't even care. He manages to lower his mouth enough where he can get angles in the places he needs to be, and sets to work. He slides the flat of his tongue against the perfect folds and he hears her moan loudly in response.

"Din-"

His hands squeezing her thighs makes her cut herself off abruptly, her back arching a little bit off the bed as he presses his mouth against her, pressing his tongue inside to start tongue fucking her. Every time she moans it's like a spark adding to the burning fire in his stomach. He removes one hand from her thigh, snaking it under to slide in two fingers to replace his tongue, paying attention to thrusting his fingers in and out slowly while he sucks or licks her clit. Her legs stiffen and shudder, occasionally tightening around his head, spurring him on even more. The more he fingers her, the more wet she becomes, so at one point, his fingers are pretty much just sliding in and out almost entirely on their own. She chokes on what sounds like almost a sob when he twists his wrist so his fingers are turned up, curling them just enough to rub against the top. Her legs adjust so her calves are pushing his neck further down, trapping him there.

Wow. What a way to go out. Suffocating between a beautiful woman's thighs while you eat her out? Hell yeah.

"Din...! I-I'm...!" She breaks off in a moan as he continues as best as he can, her body tightening with his ministrations. He keeps going and going until she's tightening as much as she can, her thighs tightening like steel, her back arching high off the bed as her hips press down as much as possible, her hand tightening and pulling his curls roughly. Din can't help but shiver, letting out a groan as he laps up the wetness leaking out.

Slowly, her legs loosen around him and he pulls away, her legs falling open unceremoniously, and he blinks away the spots as he's able to breathe again, grinning when he sees how completely and utterly wrecked Amalas looks. Her hair is sticking to her forehead now, her skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she's never looked more beautiful.

"How fucking gorgeous..." He mumbles, sliding a hand down from her inner thigh, over the bruises up to the middle of her belly and keeping it down, watching her chest heave as she tries to get a coherent thought out but the only thing she manages is a breathy:

"Din..."

"I'm here..." He soothes as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her up, her legs sliding around his hips as she straddles him while he kneels. Amalas clumsily wraps her arms around his neck as he mouths her neck while she orients herself, and when she finally manages to a bit, she moves her head down to catch his mouth with hers and they kiss lazily for a minute before he turns them back around and lays her down carefully among the pillows, keeping his mouth on hers despite the action. His hips move, making her moan as he slides against her, and he smiles against her lips proudly.

"Pretty girl..." He whispers against her lips, repeating the movement. "So kind, so strong... Smart- _oh-_ and so thoughtful..." He reaches one hand down, giving himself a couple of strokes, adjusting so the tip is pressing against her entrance while his head dipped against her shoulder to kiss it.

"D-Din..." Amalas gasps out, and he looks up at her, eyes hooded yet pleading.

"What do you want, my queen?" He whispers against her skin, his hips moving teasingly against her.

"I-I want... I want you..."

"In what way?" She groans in frustration, trying to move her hips down for some sort of friction.

"Din...!" She whimpers out, and he can't help but feel a little bit of pride. "Stop teasing-"

Din cuts her off with a slow thrust in, and she arches her back perfectly against him, a loud moan escaping.

"Fuck, pretty girl, you feel so good around me... Taking me so good..." He lifts up off of her to look down at them, pushing in slowly to watch her take him so good, so well. Her hands find the pillow behind her head, her body trembling at the feeling. "So perfect for me..."

"O-Only for you..." She manages out. Din smiles impurely at her, pausing when he's halfway inside, and Amalas actually lets out a pouty whine in response.

"What's wrong, pretty girl?"

"N-Need all of you...! Please!" She swats at his hip weakly, making him grab her wrists and pin them above her head, making her whimper.

"Why do you need all of me, hmm?"

"D-Din, please...!"

"Tell me why and I might give you what you want." Amalas pants, trying to orient herself, and he resists the groan at the feeling of her walls tightening around him. She's so amazingly wet and slick around him, and _maker, she feels fantastic._

"I want you to fuck me."

"Is that so? How?"

"Slow."

"As you wish, _my queen."_

He pushes himself in fully with one long thrust, making her toes curl, and her eyes roll back into her head, her hands fisting and he can feel her wrists flex under his hands.

"How pretty..." He murmurs in admiration, watching the way her chest heaved with exertion. "All mine, right?"

"Y-Yes, all yours-!" She gasps as he pulls out slowly, then pushes back in and her thighs tighten around his hips. No, that wasn't going to work, he realized. He pulls out, her head lifting in question before his hand leaves her wrist to go down and grab hold of her hips and he swiftly flips her over, grabbing her forearms and pinning her arms behind her back with one hand with he guides her hips back up before pushing in once more.

"Oh, _fuck-"_ Amalas moans out, and Din looks down at the beauty laid out before him.

"Such a g-good girl for me-" he grunts out as he thrusts in and out slowly, his hand not wrapped around her wrists gripping the space where her hip met her waist, in admiration of how good she looked like this. "So soft yet so strong, and so- _fuck-_ kind and sweet and smart-!" Her moans are drawn out and perfect in time with his thrusts, and he slowly starts speeding up, hitting a spot inside her that makes her light up on fire. The _slap-slap-slap_ is lewd and loud in the large room, their moans filling the room. In the back of Din's head, he hoped the walls were soundproof, and that no one was walking up to the doors right now. Well, maybe they figured since how distant their queen was, they wouldn't try, but who knows.

Din focuses on Amalas, her body moving quite lovely with his thrusts and god, she's never looked so amazing before. He lets her wrists go, but quickly wraps an arm around her sternum and brings her up to hold her back against his chest, fucking her upright.

The change of position has her hardly gasping for air because his thrusts speed up to the point where the pleasure overruns her voice. Din can't help the gasoline adding to his fire, even though she said to go slow, he can't help speeding up against her. She feels so amazing; getting wetter by the second, her body trembling as she nears orgasm, her hands coming up to hold onto his forearm as he buries his face into her neck, heavy pants mixing with moans.

"F-Fuck, Amalas, I'm close-"

"Yes, yes, yes!" She gasps out. "C-Come in me! Please! Din!" She sobs out his name, and then she's clamping down on him tightly, her body stiffening deliciously against his as his hips stutter before he fully pushes all the way in, hitting a spot that makes her cry out, and he spills inside her, his right arm around her sternum, his left around her waist, holding her while they come down from their orgasms.

Slowly, he lets go, gently lowering her down in the pillows before pulling out, biting his lip as his own cum dribbles out of her, making her shiver. He quickly takes a finger and slides it through, making her twitch before a weak moan comes out as he pushes the finger in, moving it around to push the cum inside. She weakly moves down her arm, swatting at him tiredly.

"D-Din..."

"I got you..." He whispers, pulling his finger out and slowly getting off the bed, his legs tired and feeling like pudding. He finds a clean towel and dampens it with a warm water then walks back into the bedroom, seeing her still in the same position, her head turned to look at him. A tiny smile appeared on her face once she saw the towel, and he walked over and gently started wiping her down, carefully shifting her onto her back to get her front, and he carefully attends to her, starting from her face downward, leaving her center for last.

"I'm going to draw a bath, okay?"

"Okay..." She whispers out hoarsely. He smiles softly, leaning down on the bed and pressing a soft, slow kiss to her lips. She matches it before he pulls away and leaves a kiss on her forehead.

"Pretty girl..." He murmurs before getting up and going into the fresher to do as he said.

* * *

Din let her soak for a few minutes by herself while he took off the bedding and put it in the basket, wincing when he thought of the poor maidservant who would have to do the laundry later.

_Sorry._

He leans in the doorway, watching the blissed out look on her face and taking it in for a minute, smiling to himself.

"Mm, are you going to just stand there and watch me or come and join me?" Din rolls his eyes but walks over to the tub and she lifts her legs so he can get in and settle before she pushes away from her end and moves to sit in between his legs, her back pressing against his chest. The tub is thankfully big enough for them to do this and he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close and nuzzling his nose into her neck, letting out a relaxed sigh against her. Her body is relaxed, not at all tense like it was this morning. Which brings up another question he'd been thinking about.

"How strong are you?"

"That is a strange question to ask a woman you just massacred, Din Djarin." He smiles against her skin, laughing quietly.

"It's just a question. Just give an example." She lets out a huff, her hands sliding along the back of his gently. Din can't believe the same hands that were just pounding into his helmet mercilessly earlier was now just gently laying on his, no aggression or hostility present.

"I-I don't know." She laughs out. "I am strong in the Force-"

"No, not in that way, in strength wise."

"Oh. Well... I once was able to pick up a grown man and carry him for about ten miles, so..."

"Ten miles?"

"Yes."

"What happened after ten miles?"

"I had to put him down because I was being shot at? The fuck kind of question is that?"

He laughs, tilting his head back, his chest moving with his laugh, and she can feel it behind her, a smile breaking out on her face.

"What?" She asks defensively. "Do you doubt me?"

"No, it's not-" He calms down a bit, but still chuckles as he speaks. "I like when you cuss."

"Why?"

"Because! You're like, the definition of proper on the outside, so hearing you cuss is... Freeing." She lifts her right index finger out of the water to point at him.

"I will have you know, Mister Djarin, I was not a very model princess when I was younger."

"Oh, no, how dare I assume that."

"I was very bold and brash and haughty-"

"Not much as changed-" She manages to reach behind her and slap his shoulder, making him laugh.

"You're a jerk, Din." Din simply smiles, adjusting and pulling her closer, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder, admiring the swirl up here before pressing a kiss to the end of it.

"Tell me more about the Liberty Festival."

"It is a day long event that begins at sunrise and goes well into the late night. We drink, we eat, there are multiple events and games to partake in, we also have traditional dances, too."

"Really?"

"Yes. It is... Customary for the king and queen to open the day with a dance only the royal family knows, but since I wasn't here last year, my grandparents opened it again, but this year I will open it."

"But you're not married."

"No, I am not. Yarick will be my partner for the dance because he knows it quite well." She pauses, taking a second to think before she runs her nails on the back of his hand. "Unless you would like to learn it?" His eyebrows raise at her, even though she can't see him, and he lets out an amused chuckle at the thought.

"A foreign Mandalorian dancing with Stewjon's queen in an ancient dance? Sure, what could go wrong?"

"You don't dance, Din?"

"Not really, no."

"What a shame. You have an excellent physique for it. Dancing and fighting are very similar, you know."

"Mm, are they now?"

"Oh, yes, actually. Would you mind if I taught you it anyway? Even if you don't want to dance with me-"

"I didn't say no."

"But you-" He tightens his grip around her slightly, enough to make her huff at him, and he smirks.

"I didn't say no, my queen. I... I can't promise you it'll be the best sight, but I'll... I'll attempt at learning it for you. But I won't make my decision until I'm good enough."

"That is enough for me." Amalas says in satisfaction and cuddles against him happily. "What can you tell me about growing up in the covert?"

"Well, before I found out it was basically a cult, it was the only thing I ever knew. The Mandalorians taught me about the way of Mandalore, and I never questioned it. It was kill or be killed after I swore the creed, and now..." Amalas can feel his shoulders sag as he lets out a quiet sigh.

"When did you become a bounty hunter?"

"About sixteen."

"That young?"

"Hey, you were already serving in a war at eighteen."

"Not wrong there." She giggles. "You realize that when you were becoming a bounty hunter, I was being crowned queen, right?"

"Really? You were twenty-six when you were being crowned?"

"Yes. My parents waited until I was strong enough to take the responsibility of a whole planet. I was crowned at twenty-six-years old on the spring equinox. Ironically, the Liberty Festival and our summer equinox this year is a week apart."

"That's amazing."

"Mhm. What do you think was your hardest bounty you ever had?"

"Other than the kid?" Amalas laughs.

"Other than the kid."

"Well, when I was first starting out, I was a bit prideful, I must say. In over my head. I took a bounty on Coruscant."

"Bad idea."

"Very bad idea." He sighs. "Was stuck on that damn planet for two and a half months. Came home and my covert thought I died."

"Well, if one of my fellow Mandalorian's suddenly went missing for two months, I would think they died, too."

"True that." He chuckles. "I learned my lesson after that. Until I was a better hunter, I wouldn't take another bounty like that again."

"Did you catch them?"

"Well, uh..."

"Oh, no."

"Okay, look, I caught him, but he died of a heart attack when he saw that a Mandalorian hunted him down." She snorts before dissolving into a fit of laughter, and he sits there while she laughs at him, suffering in silence. As she calms down, still giggling occasionally, he looks at her exasperatedly, sniffing in indignation.

"Rude." He says, putting as much fake hurt in his voice as possible.

"Oh, please. I mean, I would have a heart attack, too, if I knew that I had a bounty on my head only for a Mandalorian to find me."

"So, if you had a bounty on your head, do you think you would be able to hide from me?"

"Yes." He looks at her stunned. "Honey, I have years on you."

"Uh huh. And what makes you think you would be able to hide from me?"

"First of all, I know all of the tricks that the Mandalorians use in their arsenal, even though they try to break it up, but I know what everyone uses when I meet my opponent. Second of all, I have been running from the Empire for twenty years, I know how to hide and cover my tracks. Do you know how many bounty hunters I have killed who have come looking for me, only to end up dead?"

A shiver runs up his spine.

"How many?"

"Dozens." She responds evenly, yet her voice is quiet. "Even the Hutt clan tried to come after me in years past."

"Because of your past affiliation with the Republic and all that?"

"Right. May or may not have tried to kill Jabba a few times, but glad Leia did it."

"Leia? The... the one who now runs the New Republic?"

"Oh, yeah. It was great."

"How did you know about it?"

"I... Can sense other Jedi through the Force, Luke and Leia being two of them. I can also feel Ahsoka's presence, as well as a few other Jedi who have recently surfaced."

"Ahsoka said there aren't many Jedi left, though." She goes quiet, and he immediately regrets saying anything.

"There aren't." Her voice is quiet, like a whisper and he hugs her close, kissing her cheek softly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay, it's okay." She pats his hand reassuringly. "I'm happy I have you now."

"Are you now?"

"Very much so." He chuckles softly.

"I... I am, too. So is Grogu, I think. Does this mean he'll get a lightsaber now?"

"In the very far future." She laughs out. "I promise he will not be getting one of those until he is at least one-hundred." Din chuckles, ignoring the slight pang in his heart at the thought. Fifty years from now and Grogu could be one-hundred while Din... While Din could be dead. Fuck. Goddammit. Why does that hurt so much to think about?

Her hand cupping his cheek brings him out of his thoughts and he blinks away the tears he hadn't realized built up.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" She asks, worry and concern lacing through her voice prominently.

"I-" He chokes back a quiet cry, burying his face into her shoulder, breathing in as deeply as he can without making it shake. "The thought... That he could outlive me..."

"Oh, Din, I'm so sorry, I did not mean to upset you." She turns around gently in his arms, cupping his face and looking at him before wrapping her arms around him, her hand running through his curls comfortingly. He wraps his arms around her waist and sniffs, swallowing thickly.

"I'm sorry, my love. I didn't mean to upset you, I was just making a joke. You will be there when he achieves so much, I promise-"

Wait.

_What did she just call me?_

Din gently pushes her away and she looks at him worriedly, holding her hands to her chest unsurely, and he keeps his hands on her waist, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What did you call me?"

"What?"

"You called me "my love"."

"I... Did I?"

"You normally call me _cyare_ or _cyar'ika._ Why... Why did you call me that?" Her almost turquoise eyes stare at him for a minute before a dark red blush covers her entire face and most of her ears before she lets out a quiet:

"Fuck."


	12. "You weren't like the Jedi she knew."

"I can't believe I just said that-"

"That you love me?"

"Stewjoni tend to fall in love quicker than most-"

"Oh, so you don't just love me, you're _in_ love with me."

Amalas stops her pacing, whirling around to stare at Din with her eyes narrowed. He lounges on the bed, a towel wrapped around his hips as he watches her with a cocky grin on his face.

"Din Djarin, I swear-"

"That you'll love me forever?"

Her fist balls next to hip and he laughs, sitting up and extending his arms out invitingly. After a moment of deciding, she slowly walks over and crawls into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wraps his arms around her waist, burying his face into her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of the oils from the bath. Her hands travel up the back of his neck and gently curl in his hair, still damp from the water.

"I understand where you're coming from, Amalas. I just got a little bit upset, and I know you were just comforting me. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if you called me that more." Amalas doesn't respond to that, though, simply enjoying his hold around her. Din smacks himself mentally. _I'm an idiot._

They don't speak for some time before she shifts in his lap. "It's, um, getting late... Are you hungry?" She finally asks after a few minutes of silence. He almost sighs in relief.

"Mm, starving."

* * *

"You wouldn't mind if I said I'd like to think about learning the dance, would you?"

Amalas looks up from the screen she was reading, looking over at Din as he took a bite of toast with jam smeared on it. She raises her eyebrow. After laying on the bed for a few more minutes, Amalas found a tunic and a pair of pants large enough for him to wear. Then Amalas called for some lunch. Grogu was with a caretaker, and Din trusted everyone here. He knew, deep down, that they were safe here. Grogu was safe, and it allowed Din to relax with Amalas for some time, to spend time with her.

"No, I would not mind. It was just an idea that I threw at you, so." Din hums quietly. "Why?"

"Nothing, I just... You said you want me to read as much as possible about Stewjon and your people, so that's what I want to do. And then I'll let you know if I want to learn the dance or not." Amalas chuckles, popping a small piece of cheese into her mouth, chewing slowly before nodding.

"Alright."

"By the way, it was honestly terrifying when you were punching me."

"Thank you. I like being told from the man I am trying to court that I am terrifying." Din snorts with a laugh, nearly choking on his toast in the process, and looks over at her curiously.

"You are. That's what Bo-Katan described you as, anyway."

"She called me terrifying?"

"Yes."

Amalas opens her mouth, then shuts it, laying the screen down on her belly and crossing her arms over her chest, staring at him with analytical eyes, her eyebrow raised slightly. Din stares back as he finishes his toast, wiping his fingers on a napkin before leaning back into the couch.

"Why did she tell you that?"

"I asked her how you were during the Clone Wars. I heard stories from you, but... I wanted an outsider's perspective."

"And she told you I was terrifying?"

"Yes. You weren't like the Jedi she knew, I guess."

"No, I was not. I was very different."

"How so?" The corner of her mouth twitches a bit. She doesn't respond though, just stares at him blankly for a minute. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine. You are curious, but there are things that I... That I can't describe." She looks down at the screen on her stomach, tracing the edge with her finger. His heart suddenly hurts, and he looks down, thinking carefully about what he could say to comfort her.

"I-I see." He says instead, his voice quiet. He leans forward, picking up her feet and pulling them into his lap, stroking her legs comfortingly. "What was your father like?" She looks back up at him, blinking in surprise.

"My father?"

"Yes." Amalas swallows thickly, taking a moment before responding.

"He... He was... He was a good man." She says softly. "Suffered too much for the kind of man he was. He was kind and compassionate, with a secret sweet tooth that he got from my grandfather. He never let on, but I would occasionally bring him some sweets from a bakery on Coruscant that he liked. He was smart, and a great negotiator. And he loved my mother greatly."

"Why were they never together?"

"The Jedi Order forbade attachments, which pretty much meant forbidding love and relationships. There was a loophole though, that if a Jedi's species was endangered, they would be allowed to marry and reproduce, as long as they did not form attachment."

"How do you have a family without being attached? I... I saw Grogu and I was attached."

"I never understood it either. Part of the reason why my master never took me to the temple to be trained. It was a good decision, but it also made me an outcast to the Jedi Order."

"You worked for them, though."

"On behalf of my family, since we were aiding them in their peace talks. If I had not talked my grandparents into helping my mother with the neutrality talks, I... I wonder if things would have turned out differently." Her eyes turn downcast, and he swallows back the clogged feeling his throat suddenly got. Din gently squeezes her ankle comfortingly, making her look back up at him, his thumb tracing the outline of her Rebellion tattoo mindlessly.

"What about your mother? Why was she trying to keep Mandalore neutral?"

"Mandalore's past was ridden with bloodshed and war. She was tired of the fighting, and tried to set a peaceful era, but there were some who disagreed with her idealism, and that was the group called Death Watch."

"Why... How come they never showed their faces? For the anonymity?" She raises her eyebrows.

"That group showed their faces often. I believe it was after the Siege of Mandalore when a small group broke off, after watching their brethren suffer because they were Mandalorian, thus never wanting to show themselves too much, and the Great Purge, and then the Empire..." She hums thoughtfully. "They tried to be a savior group, freeing cities and villages from the Separatists, and creating the covert that I believe was the covert you grew up in. They essentially tried to return to the old ways of Mandalore, despite being in the wrong. I suppose everyone has their own beliefs, though."

"How come you never helped Bo-Katan try to take back Mandalore?"

"That was her idea." She says softly. "After the Empire rose to power, all remaining Jedi went into hiding. I could not risk being captured, and being with the Mandalorians would only put a larger bounty on my head."

"And then you became queen?"

"Yes. A few years into the Empire's rule, my parents told me they wanted to retire, but they wanted to make sure I was alright to rule. By then, my uncles had already abdicated, and left it to me."

"You're a good queen." He comments quietly, and she smiles, a pink blush appearing on her face.

"Am I?"

"Yes. I can tell that the people are happy with you as their ruler. You... You don't often see that these days."

"I know it's difficult to believe that our society is perfect, and it's not. It has its flaws and its problems, but my people are compromising and intelligent."

"Except for Rowan." He mutters under his breath and she laughs.

"Everyone except for Rowan, yes."

"Were you and Ahsoka close?"

"Oh, yes. We were best friends." She smiles warmly as memories come back to her, and his heart warms at the look. "She admired my abilities, despite only being a little younger than me."

"You're older than Ahsoka?"

"Only by like, two years?"

"Oh." She giggles sweetly, and he runs his thumb down her arch, making her toes curl. "I bet you were a firecracker when you were young."

"Oh, hell yeah. The troopers called me "mini general" because I was pretty much a replica of my father."

"Mini general." Din says thoughtfully then before he can think: "General Kenobi." She smiles, her eyes becoming glossy at the title, and he almost apologizes. _Shit._ But she blinks and looks back up at him with a smile on her face. Okay, well, at least she was talking to him without becoming distant. Din was happy about that, that's for sure.

"The battalion I was assigned to painted their armor teal to match the orange they already had for my father, and since Cody was a commander, I was given the title of Captain, and when my father explained who I was to everyone, they were... Quite excited."

"They got a little sister." It made sense; if they all were brothers since they were clones, and suddenly a new young girl shows up, he didn't doubt that they would practically adopt her in a way.

"They did indeed."

"Why did the Jedi treat you like an outcast? Because you weren't raised to be one of them?"

"Yes, and when they learned about my heritage, they... Were on the fence about it. As if they couldn't believe I was Obi-Wan's daughter."

"I still don't understand how you appeared in thin air."

"I often think about it and wonder the same thing." She says, smiling. "But I told them that I could pull my family out of their brief alliance with the Republic, and they did not want that."

"They were thinking of themselves."

"Correct. I saw hypocrisy among the Jedi in the short time I was with them, and I did not want that life for me. I begged my father to reconsider leaving the Order, telling him that he would be happy here on Stewjon, and that he could be with Satine finally. But... His heart belonged to the Republic."

"Why would he choose that over his own daughter?" She goes quiet for a minute before shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"I don't know." She says, her voice barely a whisper. "I think about that a lot, too." Din adjusts, reaching and taking the data screen from her belly and sliding it onto the table, crawling in between her legs and kissing her softly, making her sigh against him and relax.

"You're here." He whispers against her lips. "You're here, and healthy, and alive."

"I shouldn't be." Din grasps her chin in his hand, lifting her head to look at him, her eyes blinking in surprise.

"But you _are._ " He says firmly. "You have every right to be alive, because you are smart, cunning, and amazing at everything you do. Do you understand that? I may not know everything about you, but I want to. I want to know you, Amalas. I do." Amalas smiles, cradling his face with her hands and humming softly.

"I want to know you, too, Din."

Amalas pushes him back, sealing her lips on his, and he adjusts so his back is to the cushions so she can straddle him. He lays his hands on her hips reflexively, staring up at the stunning sight above him as they break the kiss.

"Again?" He asks, his eyes wide.

"If you don't want to-"

"No, I want to, I'm just surprised you want to already."

"Hey, Stewjoni have a higher sex drive than humans." She says, smirking at him as she rolls her hips against his lap. He lets out a soft gasp.

"You... You're a sneaky woman, you know that?"

"Mhm."

"You want to ride me?" Amalas shuts her eyes, biting her lower lip and nodding.

"Yes, please."

"You're going to make me dry, you know that?"

"Maybe that's the plan."

"Oh, fuck me."

"Now _that's_ the plan." Din lets out a huff before it's cut off by her lips on his, her hands moving down from his face to go down to the waistband of his pants. He lets out a soft moan in response, feeling her cool hands brush against his stomach as they pull the band of his bands away, dipping in to pull out his already half-hard cock.

"I like," he mumbles against her lips, "the hickeys on your neck."

"Oh?" She asks, giving him a slow pump. He moans, tilting his head back. "Then they will stay."

"W-What about public appearances-oh!" She sinks her teeth into the side of his neck as her thumb smears pre all over the tip, sending a shock through the lower half of his body.

"Mm, there's a such thing called makeup... Or maybe I won't cover up at all. Let _everyone_ see that I'm taken."

Din lets out a strangled moan as she sucks a nice little bruise into his shoulder, her hand stroking him to full hardness. Amalas slowly gets off, hooking her hands in his pants and sliding his pants down with her. She lets the pants pool at his feet, kneeling on the ground and licking her lips, staring at his dick with a hungry gaze.

"I love this dick..." She purrs out, wrapping a hand around it and giving it a pump. He lets out a moan, his hips lifting off the seat slightly. She slides her thumb over the tip again, making his head tilt back before he forces it back to look at her. She leans in, licking a strip up the length while her hand lowers to brush over his balls.

"O-Oh, fuck! Do that again, Amalas, please...!"

Amalas lets out a slight laugh, but obliges, repeating the movement, and then adding the action of taking the tip into her mouth and gently sucking. Din moans loudly, resisting the urge to buck his hips. Instead he runs his fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face as he watches. She slowly begins taking him into her mouth little by little, her mouth slick and warm, and Maker, she was better than any girl he had before her. Which weren't many, he realizes, as she takes him deeper and deeper.

"Oh, my..." He gasps, his voice breathless and almost needy. "Amalas...!" His hips lift off the bed slightly, making her pause, her eyes flicking up to look at him curiously. He manages a nod, and Amalas continues taking him inch by inch, until he passes the entrance to the back of her throat, and a couple of inches later, he's down her throat, her nose nudging the dark curls on his pubic bone.

"Oh, fuck, Amalas..." He groans, his hand tightening on the back of her hand. "Y-You're so good...! S-So warm, and so p-perfect..." She hums around him, sending amazing vibrations throughout his cock, and he moans, his thighs stiffening in pleasure. She sits like that for a brief moment, before she slowly pulls up, making sure to drag it out and let him watch, before stopping with only the head in her mouth, before she sinks back down on him quickly.

"Fuck!" Amalas mentally grinned at the reaction, slowly beginning a smooth and steady pace up and down his pretty cock. Din wasn't even ashamed at the noises he was letting out, the pleasure _that_ fucking good for him to not care about anything. She moves with expertise, and somewhere in the back of his mind, a tiny voice prods him to ask her if she's done this before.

The thought vanishes, though, when she takes him deep once more, swallowing to constrict her throat around him and he jerks up, bending his upper half as both of his hands come down to curl into her hair, hunched over her as his hips bucked into her mouth. She lets out a moan, adjusting to the movement quickly, her hands coming up to brace on his hips.

"A-Amalas, fuck, do that again, please...!" Din knows she probably would have giggled, judging by the huff he feels out of her nose against his skin and she repeats the action, and it takes every ounce of willpower Din has to not start thrusting into her mouth. Amalas continues moving up and down, picking up the pace every couple of minutes, one hand trailing from his hip to his balls to start gently massaging them, getting a choked moan in response.

"A-Amalas, I-I'm close-" He gasps out, his voice raspy and breathless. "W-Where-!?"

She responds by simply taking him all the way down her throat, breathing through her nose as she gives his balls a firm squeeze. Din lets out a guttural cry, his hands tightening in her hair and slightly pulling it as he climaxes, spilling down her throat. He holds like that for a few minutes, his body trembling as he calms down, before he slowly pulls away from her. Din's surprised his hands don't make a creaking noise when he gently untangles them from her hair, and she pulls up with a drawn out stroke before pulling off with a lewdly sounding pop.

"Oh my god, Amalas..." He rasps out. "That was..." His chest heaves tiredly, laying his hands on his stomach as she licks her lips, smiling at him.

"Amazing? Fantastic? Splendid? Wonderful?"

"All of the above and more." He says. Amalas smiles warmly at him, standing and sitting by him, laying her hand in the middle of his chest as he tries to calm his racing heartbeat.

"I-I don't know if I have another one in me." He says, blinking away the tiredness in his eyes. Amalas hums quietly.

"That is fine, _cyare._ You have done a lot today." She reaches and kisses his left cheek, her right hand coming up to cup his left.

"I-"

"Shh." She murmurs against him. "Rest, _cyar'ika._ I will be here when you wake."

Din murmurs something incoherently, his eyes drooping as she kisses his cheek again, murmuring something almost too soft against his skin.

_"Thank you."_

* * *

The next morning, after Din had returned to his room the night before after spending the whole day with Amalas (Grogu actually pouted and threw a fit that he had left him alone all day), he asked the servant who brought him his food that morning where Yarick was. She hums as she sets the tray down, tapping her finger on her chin as she thinks.

"I heard he took the night shift last night, and usually when the captain takes the night shift, he usually spars on the training fields the following morning, so you may be able find him there." She tilts her head questioningly. "Her Majesty will be in meetings all day today, so I don't think you will see her today."

"Of course. Thank you." She bows respectfully and heads out, shutting the door behind her for privacy.

Good, that works out actually quite well. With Amalas busy, he'd have his chance to ask Yarick about the ceremonial dance. He figured that since Yarick grew up in a noble house, he would have to know that dance, right? Not to mention he probably learned it when he became her captain, since she wasn't married, he would have to know it. Amalas did say Yarick knew it quite well, but he would need confirmation from the captain firsthand. Guess there was only one way to find out.

Just as the maidservant said, Yarick was at the training fields behind the palace, practicing different offensive and defensive maneuvers with his spear. His posture is perfect, his movements fluid and even as he moves across the mat. Grogu crawls up onto a bench beside Yarick's armor, water canteen and towel, his head tilted curiously as he watches Yarick. Din stands at the edge of the field, his arms crossed in front of his chest while he leans against the pole. He did wonder how well Yarick would do in a fight. Since Amalas was a Jedi and his long-time best friend, it made sense as to why he would lose to her. She probably knew every single one of his moves, meaning she could read him before he even made the move. Yesterday he understood that she was tired, probably didn't sleep well, and the person watching Amalas in the arena said she'd been there for three hours, so she probably was mentally exhausted. He couldn't imagine what she would be like if they were actually enemies, though. The idea made him actually shiver a bit.

Yarick twirls around easily, his feet light on the mats as he points his spear in Din's direction with practiced movements, pausing for a brief moment as he recognized who was standing there.

"Mando." Yarick greets as he stands up straight, his staff pressing against the back of his arm as he tilts his head curiously. Din gives a respectful nod at him, watching as he walks over.

"I heard you had the night shift." He comments as Yarick carefully leans his spear against the bench, picking up his towel and wiping off the sweat on his face. Grogu coos up at him, reaching and running a little finger along the metal.

"I did." Yarick replies. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept... Good. It's nice having a bed instead of a cot to sleep on."

"I cannot imagine the back pain you must have." Yarick chuckles. Din smiles beneath the helmet, nodding slightly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you know the ceremonial dance that starts the Liberty Festival?"

"You mean the Sunfire Dance? Yes, I know it. I had to learn it growing up since I wanted to be apart of the Royal Guard, and Amalas told me that I would have to learn it in case she became queen. Although, the former king and queen have continued to open the festival even after her coronation, but the beginning of this year Amalas announced she would be opening it. I think the king and queen are quite relieved, actually."

"I see." Din says quietly, gears turning in his head as his idea continues to formulate. That worked out quite well, actually. Yarick raises his eyebrow as he sips some water, eyeing Din out of the corner of his eye.

"Why do you ask?"

"Amalas asked me if I wanted to learn it." His hand freezes in midair from raising his water, his face going blank. Slowly, he lowers the canteen, turning his head to look at him.

"She did?"

"Yes. I... I told her I would think about it, but I was wondering if maybe you would teach it to me."

"If I- You're asking me to go behind her back, you know that right?"

"She's going to be in meetings all day." Din informs. "She won't know."

"Amalas knows everything." Yarick murmurs.

"She won't know about this." Din promises.

"And why do you want to learn it?"

"I would like to learn it."

" _Why_?"

"Because I'd like to dance with her at the festival, even if it wasn't the morning ceremony."

"But you want to learn the morning dance?" Yarick asks, the smile evident in his voice.

"Yes." Why was he giving him such a hard time? Like damn, he understood that it was sacred but- Oh, shit, was it breaking rules if he danced with her in the morning ceremony? If so, he felt like he was about to turn tail and run.

Yarick goes quiet as he considers it, turning his body fully to face him, placing a hand on his hip as he thinks.

"The Sunfire Dance is a very intimate dance, one that is usually performed by the king and queen, a married couple. If the king or queen are unmarried, they choose someone from their court to dance with. I am the default option since I am basically her right hand man." Yarick eyes him. "Are you comfortable with getting up close and personal with a man if I am to teach you?"

"It's that close?"

"Like I said, it's a very intimate dance performed by the married couple."

"And... You would be dancing with Amalas."

"Because I am her captain. I may have had feelings for her in the past, but who hasn't?" Yarick says nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulder before freezing as his own words process in his brain. His eyebrows shoot up, incredulous at the new piece of information.

"You liked her?" Din asks slowly.

"When we were teenagers. Raging hormones and all that." Din is quiet while he struggles to formulate a coherent sentence, his hands clenching slightly into half fists.

"Did you two ever...?"

"What? Oh, Maker, no, Amalas viewed me as a brother. And I respected her too much to act on my feelings. And don't worry, I view her as my closest friend. I no longer have those kind of feelings toward her." Din is honestly surprised at the relief he feels from that, and knows he shouldn't be relieved, because after all, Amalas had agreed she was trying to court him, and he was trying to court her, so why was he worried?

"I'll teach you." Din looks up at Yarick. "Are you learning about Stewjon and her culture?"

"I am."

"Good. If the people see you immersing yourself into our society, taking a genuine interest in them and our ideals, you have a good chance at winning the public's approval." Yarick explains as he walks back to the center of the mats.

"What do you mean?" Din asks, tracking him with his head.

"Amalas's line is one of the most respected lines Stewjon has had in our Royal family. The former king and queen were intelligent, kind, and acted swiftly in rightful justice, and Amalas followed that closely." He waves his hand around as he speaks, taking in the vast fields behind the palace. "Not to mention when we learned of her true heritage, half Stewjoni, half Mandalorian, our people were ecstatic. Mandalore was once our strongest ally when Duchess Satine came to our planet, retying our pasts together. You know that Mandalore was part of our liberation, yes?" He nods.

"So, they were accepting of her heritage, even though she's not full Stewjoni?"

"Half, full, not at all. Why else do you think we are so kind to you?"

"I wasn't born on Mandalore, though-"

"That doesn't matter." Yarick says, turning around to look at him. "The people only care if they know you have good intentions with our queen. It does not matter who you are, who you were, where you were born. It does not matter to them if you wear the helm of the Mandalore, it matters what kind of person you are underneath all that armor. As long as you show them that, they will accept you." The palace provided shade from the suns that were rising, but the serious look that was on Yarick's face was not shadowed at all. Din quietly gulped. He never thought he'd be intimidated by someone before, then Amalas came along, and now her own captain was intimidating? Fuck, what the actual hell was happening to him?

"Ionia!" Yarick calls, actually slightly startling him and a pretty, younger maidservant appears from behind him, and he nearly takes out his blaster in defense. Why were they all so quiet? Had he really let his guard down that much since coming here?

"Yes, Captain?"

"Show the Mandalorian to where he can change. You'll need something lighter for what we're going to do."

"The helmet stays-"

"On, I know. I will wait for you." Yarick walks back and sits on the bench next to Grogu, who laughs up at him. "Whatcha doing, little buddy? What'd you have for breakfast?" Din relaxes a little bit as the two "converse", and follows the servant down the trail, this time detouring through the grass down a path he hadn't noticed before to a small building.

"You will find sparring clothing inside." She says, opening up the doors with a small key. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you. I appreciate everything." She gives a deep bow before leaving him alone so he could change. Well, all or nothing, right?

* * *

"Really? And then what happened?" Din hears as he walks up to the sparring fields, Yarick still sitting next to Grogu while the kid moves his hands around in explanative gestures. "Really? No way!" Grogu laughs, and Din can't help the warm smile that spreads onto his face. It was nice to see Grogu interacting with people; he must know that he can trust them.

"Hey." Din greets calmly, setting the bag of armor down on the ground. The feeling gives him deja vu, remembering how on Morak he had to hand over his armor to Cara for safekeeping. At least in this situation he wasn't fighting for his kid's life; he was courting a woman that was absolutely remarkable.

Yarick stands, giving him a rather long lookover, before gently patting Grogu's head and returning to the middle of the mats.

"Do you understand what he's saying?" Din asks as he follows, keeping a few feet away from him as they face off. Yarick's posture is relaxed rather than defensive, and slowly Din relaxes his own body.

"Not a clue." Yarick replies. "But it's better to talk to him like you understand him. Makes his language center develop right." Well, at least he was doing something right in raising the weird little green gremlin.

"Alright, how do we start this dance?" Yarick gives him a quick look-over, raising his eyebrow.

"First of all, you're too stiff." Yarick says, walking over to him and getting behind him. "You need to relax."

"Sorry, I'm... Not really a dancer."

"No, really? I thought you were the galaxy's best dancer?"

"Very funny." Yarick's foot gently nudges at his feet, then he feels his hands on his lower waist, making him stiffen. Yarick laughs.

"Relax, Mando. I hope you're not this stiff when you dance with Amalas." He mumbles something under his breath, slowly relaxing at Yarick's warm touch, his face flushing to his own surprise. Yarick moves his hands down to his hips, gently turning them slightly to the right, then stepping away to circle him.

"The Sunfire Dance is intimate and sacred to our people." Yarick explains shortly. Din waits for him to elaborate, but he doesn't so Din speaks up.

"If it's sacred, why did Amalas ask if I wanted to learn it?"

"Over the years, we adjusted our traditions in order to fit the growing society we were becoming to maintain our modernity. Being bound by traditions is like being bullied by dead people." Din can't help but actually laugh at that. "Amalas offering doesn't break any rules, neither is teaching you."

"Well, that's comforting, I guess." Yarick nods, returning to his position.

"This dance is learned in sections: the beginning, middle and end. The festival does not start until this dance concludes." He points in the direction of the suns as they start to peek over the tallest point of the castle. "The suns will rise at 6:45 in the morning. The dance starts as they begin to rise, and when the dance comes to a close, the suns create a gold cast over the city, accentuating the king and queen as they finish. It's quite stunning."

"It's timed really well?"

"Extremely well. That is why it's important that you learn this to perfection. One missed step, and the whole timing is thrown off. With exactly three weeks until the festival, do you think you can perfect this dance?"

"There's no harm in trying. I learn quickly."

"Good. Since you'll be dancing with me, you must adapt quickly when you dance with Amalas. She is more agile than I am, so her movements will be smoother and lighter. You've seen how light she is in a fight, imagine what she is like when she is dancing." Din nods in understanding. "Good. Now, until you learn the diagrams of the dance-"

"There are diagrams?" Yarick sighs softly, almost in exasperation before he smiles to himself, nodding.

"Tonight, you will read the History of Stewjon, understand? I will teach you the basic stances today, but until you learn the diagrams and choreography, we will not start the actual dance."

"Fair enough." Din says.

"Once you get the basics, we can move on to how you two will be positioned. Let's get started."

* * *

They worked until late afternoon, and Din wasn't sure how, but muscles he didn't even know existed were sore. Yarick had him repeat the same stance over and over until he had it covered, then it repeated with a different stance. Often times, Yarick would have to hover in order to correct him, and despite irritation, Din took his advice to pretty much his heart. He _wanted,_ for some reason, to please Amalas and make her smile so much it made her facial muscles ache. To make her laugh until her chest and belly ached, to make her feel so relaxed that she falls asleep easily every night without worrying about if she's going to have a nightmare or PTSD episode.

They broke the teaching lessons briefly for water breaks, and the servant from earlier even brought them a snack for energy. Then Din stopped it when he saw the obvious exhaustion Yarick was having, so they wrapped up for the night. Yarick complimented him on his efforts, saying basically if he continued with this, he'd have the dance down in no time. He actually felt a little pride at that. Din took a nice hot shower, gave Grogu a bath, then they got dressed and ate dinner that a servant left him in the common area while they were in the bathroom. After that, he went up to the library to find the history books Yarick was talking about. Amalas said he could take them with him, but he double-checked with the keeper just to make sure. The keeper laughed and assured him it was okay, and sent him on his way.

The first few chapters had just been talking about their past and how they came to be, but he noticed how different some of the pages looked. He figured they'd all be the same age, with the yellowish paper, but the front of the book's pages were whiter, newer than the rest. He counted about maybe five that looked newer than the rest.

The book was extremely informational, he'll say that. It explained in greater detail of how old Mandalore the Great and the old order of Jedi liberated their people from sex and reproduction slavery. Unlike some history texts he's read or listened to, they don't dull down the dark parts. How could they? The writings recalled explicit details of how their kind were basically used as relievers, prostitutes, and baby makers, the royal family being the most sought out for their stronger bloodline. The royal bloodline were usually bought by the kings and queens of old, or even bought by politicians, since back then the morals were a little bit more twisted than they were today. It didn't excuse the fact there was slavery, because as Din continued reading it, he could feel his heart being squeezed. When they were enslaved, the slavers would use drugs and/or aphrodisiacs to make them more compliant, but their bodies evolved, creating an intolerance to their drugs, so it actually was able to allow them to start a plan for escape. So nowadays they have to make their medications and alcohol stronger to even get a buzz, apparently. No wonder he was nearly falling over the night of the duel.

It explained their biology like how Amalas did; how they presented as either male or female, but both sexes had functioning uteruses and penises. Apparently, those of the royal bloodline had a greater chance for _multiples_ in one pregnancy, but the chance for multiples in non-royals was almost just as high. Din gulped quietly at that, his vision spotting at the idea. He knew their kind had big families; Gloxia proved that when she was explaining how many there were in just the princes' families. Does Amalas want a big family like that?

Their traditions were important to them; passed down to generation after generation, but he noticed as they progressed, they adjusted the traditions as they progressed in societal and modernity standards. Some traditions were way too ritualistic and intense, so they had done away with those. Of course, though, there were some traditions that were just too sacred to keep. The first book mainly explained their history, but the second book delved deeper into their traditions, courting customs, coronation practices and rituals (whether it was a royal family member being crowned or a husband/wife being crowned as king, queen, prince or princess), and a bunch of other traditions he was surprised they would have.

The Liberty Festival's description was about fifty pages long, mainly because it contained the diagrams and choreography that Yarick had mentioned. They were detailed, depicting each move and twirl and step that the dance contained, and god, it was an intimate dance. Din could feel his face heat up at the thought of pulling her in close like that, in front of so many people, at the thought of being _vulnerable._

_The Liberty Festival is a time of joy and pride that all Stewjoni partake in. In some years, it's often fallen right on the summer solstice, which is one of the longest days of the year that we have. And what a lovely time it is. The Sunfire Dance is one of our oldest dances to date, passed down to king and queen to come. This dance is one of intimacy and love; shared between two individuals who love each other more than anything. This love is natural and strong, and it transcends into the people when they see it between their rulers. This love from the Liberty Festival has led to flourish; ripe crops and harvests, an increase in animal reproduction, and even our planet's nature benefits. The sea produces stronger and tastier fish, the forests' trees grow bigger and stronger, and after the festival, there is usually no natural occurrence in the atmosphere or in the planet's structure. This festival is beneficial to all; and that is why we must keep the tradition alive._

After he finished the books, keeping the third unread for tomorrow, the first book's pages kept _bothering_ him for some reason, so he went back and looked deeper at the pages, turning on to the light and noticing that-

"They're not the original?" He asks out loud, then snaps his mouth shut and looks over at Grogu in his cradle, hoping he didn't wake him. Thankfully, the kid didn't stir. Grogu let out a coo and turned over so his back was to him, breathing softly. He swallows, looking back down and getting closer to the light. The newer looking pages were threaded with gold instead of the maroon like the rest of the book, and as he flattened the pages as much as possible without tearing the pages, he could see five jagged yellowed parts that matched the rest of the book, looking as if they'd been ripped out.

"What in the galaxy..." He murmured to himself. Why would someone rip out pages to a history book? It really didn't make sense. To him, books were something that were such a rarity that if he did have one, he'd treat it with such gentleness until he returned it. Unless someone had ripped them out to prevent the beginning piece of history from being released... At the moment, thought, all he had were questions and no one to answer them. Maybe he'll ask Amalas in the morning if he sees her. Or ask Yarick when they returned to their teaching lessons.

After staring at the pages for a few more minutes, Din settled down in bed after shutting off the light, holding the book to his chest tightly as he stares up at the faint outline of the canopy. His mind slowly calms down from the racing questions and ideas, and slowly, his eyes drift shut, his body relaxing into the comfort of the bed. A good sleep was welcomed, even after the two naps he had earlier. As his eyes shut, the sentence lingers in his brain.

_I'll ask her tomorrow._

A baby wailing makes him startle awake, his body feeling like it'd only been a few minutes since he shut his eyes.

At first, he thinks it's Grogu, because he can't see anything before his eyes snap open to brightness, and he covers his eyes to blink away the sudden light. When Din's eyes finally adjusts, he realizes he's in a familiar field, and not in his room. Confusion spikes until he lands on a couple a few feet ahead of him kneeling down by a basket, the woman slowly picking up a small baby out of the basket to calm the cries.

_I still don't understand how you appeared in thin air._

The man and woman had the same red hair, the man's a bit darker than the woman's. The man had bright blue eyes, the woman had green. They had the same color of markings as Amalas, her mother's identical, whereas the man's was a mix between Amalas's and Yarick's; with the swirls under his eyes, but the stripes on his chin, the outer two curling slightly with two dots at the end of each line. The baby had copper hair that curled at the base of her neck, her eyes squeezed shut tightly as she squirms and sobs.

"Shh, it's okay. Where in the galaxy did you come from?" She soothes, her voice gentle and calm, carrying the same accent as Amalas as she gently cradles the baby to her chest. The man looks up at a guard clad in gold armor like Yarick's, gesturing to the fields, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Search for anybody nearby. If somebody left her here, she may belong to someone."

"Right away, Your Majesty." He says, and repeats the command in a booming voice before guards spread out to search as told. Din frowns deeply, blinking in confusion as he watches. What in the world was this dream? Was... Was this Amalas when her grandparents found her? She never elaborated on how she was found, she just mentioned her grandparents found her and took her in. Was this another Force dream? If so, why? Why him? Why would something like the Force show him, a mere human, something so intimate and deep? Because he was involved with a Jedi? Because he was involved with one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy? Well, two, but Grogu didn't really count right now. _Why?_

"She is clearly of our kind." The man says thoughtfully as the baby slowly starts calming down. "Who would abandon a child here of all places?"

"I do not know." The woman replies, transfixed on the baby. "She is healthy, at least. Maybe about three months old." The man gently strokes her hair, smiling down at her softly as the baby settles against the woman, slowly opening her eyes.

"She is beautiful." The woman says, and the man nods in agreement just as the captain of the guard runs back up. The man stands to greet him, his eyebrows furrowing as the captain shakes his head.

"No sign of any footprints or even speeder tracks. We're canvasing further out, but no luck so far."

"Okay, a baby just does not appear out of thin air." The king says, and slowly, the woman stands, looking thoughtful as she stares down at the baby. The baby coos, reaching up with tiny hands and touching the woman's cheek and chin gently, giggling as the woman melts, smiling down at her warmly.

"No, no, they do not. Let us get back to the palace, we should evaluate her and then ask our people if they are missing a child."

The scene shifts so quickly it feels like Din stumbles, catching himself before he fell, taking in the new scene. The king and queen now stood on the top steps leading up the palace, the people in the courtyards several cases below. They were dressed in their royal garments and crowns, the baby in the queen's arms asleep on her shoulder, being supported by the queen's arm.

"We ask you, our people, for your honesty in this time. We found this young child in the royal fields behind our palace, and we have no idea who she belongs to. She is Stewjoni, that we can tell, but we can find no evidence of her family. Please, if anyone has any information, come to us." The people looked unsure, worried even, but no one came forward.

"We will be open day and night to anyone coming forward. Thank you, my people." With that, the king turned around, placing his hand on the queen's low back as they walked back into the palace, the king looking thoughtful as they walk down the hallway.

"Well, until we find out who her family is, we should give her a name." The queen suggests and the king chuckles, making her smile. "What? We can't just keep calling her "the child". She needs a name until we find them."

"Alright, I am guessing you have an idea already?" The queen giggles, blushing brightly.

"Maybe."

"What do you have?" The queen looks down at the baby, who sleeps peacefully in her arms.

_"Amalas."_

The scene changes once more, and Din is able to get a better grip, mentally cursing whatever this was. Can it stop doing that!? He shakes his head, focusing on the new scenery, and seeing the king and queen sitting on the couch in the throne room, the newly named Amalas bouncing on the king's knee as she gnaws on a toy, staring at the man sitting on the couch across from them. He's wearing a long brown robe, his brown hair shoulder length, his kind blue eyes staring right back at Amalas.

"Tell me it again."

"We walked into her room, and everything was floating in the air." The queen says, reaching and stroking Amalas's hair gently. "Everything, even herself. We were suprised we weren't floating as well."

"And you have reason to believe she can wield the Force?"

"I am sure you felt it when you arrived here, Master Jinn." The king says, gesturing to the room. "That our planet is strong in the Force."

"Yes, I felt it when I landed." He says, bowing his head slightly. "I haven't been on a planet that's so strong with the Force. Even just sitting here I can feel it humming."

"Then it is reasonable to believe she might have the ability?"

"Maybe." The man says, eyeing Amalas carefully, smiling when she giggles at him. He stands up, extending his hands out to her. "May I?" The king gently hands her over, and she goes rather eagerly as he sets her in his lap, taking her hand in his and stroking the back of it as she reaches up to play with his beard. He shuts his eyes for a minute as if taking a moment to orient himself before he opens them once more, staring down at Amalas with awe.

"You are quite strong in the Force, aren't you?" Amalas simply coos at him, touching his face curiously.

"She is?" The king asks.

"Yes. Very strong, in fact. How old is she?"

"About five months old." His eyebrows shoot up slightly, and he looks down at Amalas curiously.

"You are an early bloomer, huh?" He adjusts her in his lap so her back is against his left arm, and he reaches forward to pick up a small gold ball that looks similar to the ball from the Razor Crest that Grogu was so in love with.

"Alright... Let's see these abilities of yours, little one." He holds the ball out with the tip of his fingers as far as his arm will go. Amalas blinks, fixated on the ball. "Go ahead, take the ball, little one." Her tiny, chubby hands reach out, her eyes slightly squinting in concentration before the ball flies out from his fingerse and into her hands. She giggles happily, kicking her feet as she looks between the ball and the man.

"Very strong indeed..." He muses. The king and queen glance at each other, concern present on their faces.

"Does this mean you will take her back to Coruscant?"

The man stares at the couple for a minute before turning his head back down to Amalas as she curls up against his chest, laying her head against the area where his heart would be, starting to drift off. He lays a large hand on her back, wrapping a part of his robe around her as he thinks.

"No." The king and queen look up at him, blinking in surprise.

"No?"

"I will not take her to become a Jedi, but I will train her, just not in the traditional way."

"What do you mean?"

"I will visit as much as I can. I will send books, holos, my own personal journals, and anything else I can to her as she grows up."

"That is an... Odd way..." The queen says, but she looks relieved.

"Yes." He looks down at Amalas, who now sleeps peacefully against his chest, cooing quietly in her sleep.

"It will be up to her about which path she wants to take."

With that, he's in darkness again, in pitch black darkness with a heavy silence hanging over him. He turns around, panicked before it feels like the air is sucked out of his lungs as so many emotions crash into him at once, making him drop to his knees as he cradles his head. Despair, anger, _rage_ are just some to describe what he feels. Some lighter emotions interlace with it like love and joy and happiness, then those are overtaken by grief and exhaustion, and then images are flashing through his brain before he can even think about what's going on. Images flash through his head like pages rapidly being turned by the wind, from the moment she was found, to even an image of her laying in bed _presently._ Screams of despair, horrible sounds of dying, shouts of commands, and a simple:

_"Execute Order 66."_

All of it mixes with images he can barely catch. He catches one of her collapsing as a young child, then it changes to her falling to her knees in a cave that is pure ice, her mouth open as she screams brokenly into nothing. Images of her fighting, hugging, laughing, crying. _Everything in her life plays out in his head like a damn holomovie._

_There must be both dark and light._

A red and white lightsaber clashing together-

_I will do what I must to keep the balance, as the balance is what holds all life._

A bright blue butterfly flapping away from her outstretched hand-

_There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish._

"The Republic will be reorganized into the First Galactic Empire!"

_There is passion, yet peace._

Bare feet twirl beautifully on bare soil, grass and flowers growing the moment her foot leaves-

_Serenity, yet emotion._

Arms wrapped around a trembling Amalas as she cries, the calm voice of a man washing over her-

_Chaos, yet order._

White lightsabers glowing among dark red flames as a city burns, before the right one is raised by the silhouette, and a legion of white armored troopers run into battle-

_I am a wielder of the flame; a champion of balance._

Palms overturned, two crystals, one red, one white, floating above her hands, turning softly-

_I am a guardian of life._

Children running freely in front of her, animals playing with the children with the green grass flowing with the breeze, the sound of giggling pleasant in his ears-

_I am a Gray Jedi._

An old temple, he recognized briefly, up in flames as a figure stands at the top of the steps, her robes moving in the wind, before her hand comes out from beneath, holding a gold hilted dagger, raising it and grasping at her hair, a simple swipe cutting it into a short bob before she turns slowly-

Din shoots up in bed, clawing at his chest, bright blue eyes alit with the flames still burned into his brain. His body is soaked in sweat and on fire, and distantly, he can hear Grogu cry worriedly to his left, but her voice ringing in her ears clouds it.

_There is only the Force._


	13. "Do you think things changed for the better, or for the worse?"

"How peculiar." The keeper of the library murmurs as she inspects the tearing of the pages with a handheld magnifying glass. "Yes, you're right. The pages are newer and the threading is gold, not maroon like the rest of the book."

Amalas crosses her arms, and Din is grateful that he has his helmet, because he hasn't been able to look at her since... Whatever the hell he had last night. Grogu had sensed his distress so he woke up, and wouldn't go back to sleep no matter how much Din soothed him. The kid was adamant about staying up, but thankfully, after about an hour and after sensing that Din had calmed down a bit, he fell asleep, his hands clenching Din's night shirt tightly as if he'd never let go. Din slightly relaxed back into the bed, but he couldn't sleep after that. The images would flash across his eyelids every time he shut his eyes, and he couldn't do that again.

So he just suffered with his thoughts until morning came. He asked the servant who brought their breakfast in if she would relay a message to Amalas right away, and she agreed, so he told her to tell the queen to meet him in the library at a specific time to go over his findings. The keeper was very interested as he explained what he had found, taking a magnifying glass to peer further.

"How old do you think the new pages are?" He asks. The keeper hums slightly, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger as she looks back down at the pages. She's pretty, too, with a face full of freckles, markings like Gloxia's but azure instead of green, and wild red curls that she pulled into a messy bun. She's older, he can tell, but like Amalas said, they had good genes. She's short, with her head barely coming up to the heart of the Mandalore engraved on his chest piece and petite. He figured, however, that working in a library like this would keep you in shape; going up and down ladders, walking several klicks inside every day, and squatting all day would keep you this petite. In the back of his head, Din wondered how old the keeper was.

"The new pages look about... Maybe 30 years old." Amalas's body noticeably stiffens, and she turns her head slightly as her eyebrows furrow, frowning at the keeper.

"Are you sure?" She asks and the keeper nods. Amalas immediately looks thoughtful, stroking her chin as if she had an invisible beard. Din finds it kind of cute, but he quickly lowers his gaze back down to the keeper.

"Yes."

"And how old are the old pages?" Din asks.

"Well, our history books are rewritten every few hundred years to keep up to date with the flow of history, so the last time they were revised was, oh, I don't know... two-hundred and fifty-two years ago?" Din raises his eyebrows beneath his helmet.

"That's specific." He comments, making her shrug.

"I come from a long line of keepers. My daughter is the only one who hasn't followed in our footsteps."

"Who is your daughter?" Din asks.

"You met her, I think." She says, looking at him curiously as she pulls on gold round glasses. "Lieutenant Gloxia."

"Your daughter is Gloxia?" He asks, shock present in his voice. Goddamn, they were different! Gloxia was so blunt and well, rough, whereas her mother was so soft and kind that he found it a bit difficult to believe it actually. He wondered if she got her traits from her father.

"You can thank Her Majesty for turning my own daughter against me." The keeper teases, and Amalas smirks a bit before she purses her lips and looks at her shoes.

"I simply stated it would be nice to have someone I knew in my guard... I did not know both Yarick and Gloxia would join the academy." She says quietly, a shy tone to her voice.

"They joined because of you?" Din asks before he can stop himself. The keeper snorts, her mannerisms similar to Gloxia's. Okay, now he can see the resemblance.

"Because of her? Honey, you should have seen how much they loved her as children. When she was five, they snuck into the new shipment of books, found one that they knew she hadn't read yet, and brought it to her in the hospital." Amalas's ears turn pink at the tips and she purses her lips, looking away. "Those two have been her best friends since childhood." Din hums quietly.

"Is that so?" Amalas shoots him a quick glare, and Grogu giggles at their demeanor from down by Amalas's leg. When had he walked over to her? Amalas shakes her head at them.

"Can you access who checked out the book thirty years ago?" Amalas asks, and the keeper runs her nails through her curls, looking hesitant at the question.

"Thirty years of logging will be long..." She replies slowly.

"I will relieve some maidservants to help you. I must start training with the little one today, and I would not ask you if it was not important. Please, Griselle." The keeper hesitates for a moment, looking pensive as she thinks about it, before nodding reluctantly.

"Of course, Your Majesty." She finally says and then turns to Din. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mandalorian."

"Of course." He replies smoothly, and Griselle picks up the book and walks away, quietly talking to herself as she looks around the expansive library. They watch her until Amalas whirls on him, making him take a startled step back as she raises her eyebrows high.

"What's wrong with you?" Amalas finally asks, her tone blunt and rather flat. He's suddenly very interested in a vase on a stand nearby, quiet. How the hell was he suppose to tell her what he... Saw? Was that the right word? The whole vision felt so personal and close that he didn't really know how to tell her that he saw some of the most darkest parts of her life without her permission. How could he?

"I'm fine."

"Oh, Maker, Din. Do not try and pull that bantha-shit with me." She hisses. "You are blocking me off."

"For a reason." He shoots back, and immediately wishes he hadn't. The look he receives is molten, and he wonders if his armor might start melting.

"And what reason is that?" She asks slowly, her bright blue eyes practically staring into his soul.

"I-I don't know how to explain it, Amalas. I don't."

"Are you mad at me for something?"

"What? No!"

"Did I do something yesterday that made you rethink about our relationship?"

"Amalas, just stop. It's not about..." He drifts off when they hear Grogu whimper worriedly, hiding behind a small table nearby as they argue. They immediately sag, the tension relieving from their bodies, Din kneeling down to his level and reaching out his arms.

"Grogu, come here. Please." Grogu peeks out from behind the table and slowly walks over to him, stopping in his arms. "We didn't mean to upset you. I just got a little upset." Grogu nods slightly, almost in understanding.

"I did not mean to get upset, either." Amalas says softly. Din wraps Grogu up in his arms and stands, sighing.

"You said you're going to start training him today?"

"If that's alright with you."

"Of course." He gently, slowly almost, hands Grogu over to her, patting his back slightly in comfort.

"We are going to the Jedi Temple here, so we will be gone for a few hours, but we should be back before dinner." Din nods, running his gloved fingers over Grogu's ear as he coos at Amalas and Din.

"Be careful."

"We will."

* * *

"You're distracted today." Yarick comments as Din slowly pushes off the ground. The exhaustion from not sleeping well and the vision from last night mixed to create a horrible concoction of tiredness, not to mention the soreness from yesterday's practice as well.

Din grunts quietly. "Sorry."

Yarick relaxes from his stance, watching as Din walks over to the bench and sits down heavily, picking up the second canteen of water and unscrewing the lid, his helmet trained on the ground in front of him. Why was he taking off the lid? He couldn't drink it. Well, maybe he could if Yarick was respectful enough to look away. Yarick looks around the fields before walking over and sitting on the bench beside him to drink some water as well, glancing at Din through the corner of his eye.

"What's going on with you?" He asks, and Din is surprised at the genuine concern he hears in the captain's deep, rumbling voice. Din scratches his wrist with his knuckle, sighing.

"I... I had a weird... A weird dream last night."

"Oh, I don't need to-"

"Not in that way." Din snaps, but there's no real bite to it. "It... It _was_ about Amalas, but not in that way."

"What do you mean?" Din explains everything; from watching the king and queen pick up the baby from the basket, to waking up with that one sentence ringing in his ears. Yarick listens, not once interrupting, focusing intently as Din explains the images that were practically burned into his brain, and once he finished, they sat in silence for some time while Yarick pondered over what he'd just been told.

Yarick lets out a sigh through his mouth before chuckling lowly, raising his canteen to his mouth as he leans back. "Mando, you just got a visit from the Force."

"What? What does that mean?"

"What does that _mean?_ " Yarick says, lowering the water to look at him. "Mando, you are involved with one of the most powerful Jedi in history. What do you think that means?"

"I... Really only heard about the Jedi when I met Grogu, so..." Yarick stares at him before placing his own hand on his leg, turning his body slightly to look at Din, a serious expression washing over his face.

"Amalas was born because of love between two people that could never have been together. Do you know what the Jedi Order used to call her?"

"What?"

"The Daughter of the Force. She was the second being to be produced by the Force, Anakin Skywalker being the first, except he was carried by a woman. Amalas just..." He makes an exploding motion with his hand. "Poofed into existence."

"I just don't understand why the Force would send me something like that. I get that I'm involved with her, but why now? I get that... That we have feelings for each other, but I didn't think I would need a whole damn movie about her life. She's a private person and so am I. I feel... I feel like I crossed a line I shouldn't have."

"If you don't understand it," Yarick says, surprising gentleness in his tone and Din looks up at him. "Do what Amalas and Grogu do. Try to meditate on the vision. Maybe see if you can connect with the Force, and... Maybe even someone from the past."

"Like... Her father?"

"Her father, mother, master, hell, maybe even a Mandalorian from the days of old. Remember, this planet is strong with the Force. And since you have a bond with Amalas already, I'm sure it'll be quite easy to connect with the Force, anyway." Din slowly turns his gaze back to the ground, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Yarick had turned so his back was facing and Din feels warm at the thoughtfulness. He lifts his helmet enough to where he can sip some water before pulling it back down, sighing.

"Do you think that'll help? Meditating on it? I haven't done that since I was a young child."

"Amalas taught me that a calm mind leads to a focused mind. When we were growing up, Gloxia and I would often find her in her room meditating, and we respected her enough not to bother her. Later on, she explained that meditating helped her connect with the Force and she was able to think more clearly. She invited us to try it with her and well... I still do it regularly. I think Gloxia does, too."

Din takes that into consideration. It wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe he could try it after their lessons; Amalas had said they'd be gone for awhile after all, so he'd be alone.

"Do you want to continue the lessons?" Yarick asks, standing up and stretching. Din nods.

"Yes, I want to."

"Alright, fourth form, let's go."

* * *

They worked on the forms until Yarick stopped them for the day, which mentally, Din was a little upset about, but physically, he was grateful. Yarick tosses him a towel to wipe up the sweat with, wiping his own face with his own towel.

"Since Amalas will be out for probably the whole day, would you like to go to the Square with me this evening? Get a better feel for the city and the people?" Din pauses, looking up from wiping his arm to pause.

"Really?"

"Yes. I know you can't eat, but there's this really nice little vendor who makes the best meat ever. Plus, we never did go back to Tania's stall." Din remembers the kind lady from yesterday morning, feeling a slight pang of guilt at never returning, so he nods. It _would_ be a closer chance to see Stewjon up close rather than what he was reading, and to get a better feel for the culture. Maybe the people here would be a breath of fresh air; the planet already seemed like it, so why not the people?

"I'd... Like that. What time?"

"I'll be in the main foyer at six-thirty." Din nods.

"Sounds good." Yarick gives a pat on Din's shoulder as he passes him.

"Keep up the good work, and you'll be dancing with Amalas like you've known this dance your whole life."

Well, that's reassuring.

After going back to his room, taking a shower and eating a lunch that a servant brought while he was showering, he moved the table in the middle of the common room to the side and then sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor, inhaling deeply and settling the way he remembered Amalas had sat just a few days ago, taking a deep breath and shutting his eyes. He hadn't done this since he was a young child; the Mandalorians had taught him that meditating like this would help him understand the Way of the Mandalore, the true way, but ever since meeting Bo-Katan and finding out the people who raised him were cultists, not to mention all the information he was receiving from Amalas and the knowledge in the library...

Din shakes his head.

"Focus, focus." He murmurs, repeating the breath and letting his mind focus, which, to be honest, was extremely difficult given the circumstances.

_I need answers. Please._

Silence is the only thing that greets him back. _Patience, Din. It takes awhile. Just like Grogu on Tython._ He calms his heart, steadies his breathing and reaches out again.

_My name is Din Djarin. I need answers._

A few minutes of silence... and he gives up, opening his eyes and sighing in frustration. Maybe he had to be at the temple for it? That _is_ where Amalas and Grogu were, after all. He huffs slightly, rubbing his knees as he looks around, his eyes landing on the small clock on the bedside table saying it was only 3:34. Damn, he had three hours to kill still. Maybe he could go to the library and see if he could help Griselle with trying to find the logs from thirty years ago. He was good at that, being a bounty hunter and all.

Yeah, he was gonna do that.

* * *

Din got dressed, leaving off his cowl and cape, but making sure his blaster was holstered properly. He still didn't quite feel comfortable going anywhere without it, but he did make sure his spear, jetpack and rifle were in a secure space before he pulled on his helmet and headed up to the library.

"Who is... Yukito Roma?" He hears as he rounds the corner. Griselle crawls over multiple log books to a maidservant who tilts her screen to show her the name and the keeper furrows her eyebrows as she thinks. Another servant waves at them.

"Oh, she was a daughter of the lord that Amalas was tutoring as a favor for her brother, remember?"

"That's right. You can cross her off."

"Can I help?" The three nearly jump out of their skin, whipping around to look at him and he gives a small and awkward wave. _What the heck was that, Djarin?_

"Mando!" Griselle greets, perking up. "Of course! You're a bounty hunter, you had to track these kind of things. Come, come, sit." She clears off a part of the couch for him and he comes and sits down, the two maidservants slightly shifting away from him as their faces flush red. Din mentally sighs. He wonders what it is about him that makes him so attractive to others; his armor maybe? His scent? They all seemed to have a heightened sense of smell, Amalas proves that every time they cuddle in bed. She did calm down when she was against his neck, so maybe he had a scent that they weren't used to.

Maker, the more and more he learns about them, the more he's intrigued and a little off-put about it all.

"Where are you now?" He asks as Griselle straightens up a bit.

"About ten years down the logs." She replies, handing him a stack of screens. He counts maybe seven in total. "Each screen contains a log of everyone who has checked out the first volume of the History of Stewjon for the ten months of the year when we go by the Galactic Standard Calendar."

"That's... A lot of people." He says quietly.

"It is but Her Majesty is clearly upset about this." She points at the two servants. "This is Reyna," she points to the servant closest to his right, with dark red hair, bright green eyes and simple green spiral markings on her cheeks. She gives him a slight nod, smiling at him. "And Prisca." The other servant is almost a blonde with faint undertones of red with grayish blue eyes and blue markings like Reyna's. She wears silver trimmed glasses in a square shape. She gives him a nod as well.

"Why is she so upset about this?" Din asks. "I mean, I hate anyone who disrespects books like this, but still." Reyna and Prisca look at each other then turn their gazes back to their logs, making him furrow his eyebrows and look over at Griselle, who sighs.

"Should we tell him?" Prisca asks. "He is the child's father, after all." Griselle nods, taking a moment to think before looking up at him.

"Years ago, when Amalas was young, her abilities to use the Force was no secret. We knew about the Jedi, we knew their power, so when we learned our own princess was a Force user, to say the least, we were quite... Overjoyed."

"Really?"

"I know you have heard this multiple times, but our planet is one of the oldest planets in the galaxy, and one of the strongest in the Force. When Amalas was, oh, maybe fifteen or so, she took her trip to Ilum, a sacred place to the Jedi. This place is where the Jedi get their known weapons: the lightsaber. However, a lightsaber is just parts without the Kyber crystal."

"Kyber crystal?"

"The crystal is what gives the lightsaber its blade. The user harnesses the Force to bring it to life, thus creating a lightsaber. Ilum was the main place where Jedi used to get their crystals, but they must undergo a trial in order to gain their crystal."

"A trial?" He asks, appalled. A trial for a kid? Now that was fucking hardcore. Sure, the Mandalorians were hardcore, but the Jedi were maybe even more so. Maybe that's why they were ancient enemies; conflict of opinions and all that. Griselle gives him a pointed look before continuing.

"Ilum... Changed her. She was still our princess, but... Different. Ilum is where I believe she learned of her true heritage. Of her... Fate, basically." Din really didn't like where this was going. He remembered the image of Amalas on her knees in the ice cave, screaming into the void above her as the ice surrounded her shattered. Was... Was this the same thing Griselle was talking about? It had to be, right?

"And what happened on Ilum?"

"We don't know." Reyna says quietly. "She became distant afterwards, barely eating, barely talking to anyone. She just... Shut herself away."

"During a bad storm, she disappeared. We couldn't find her anywhere." Prisca says. "We searched the whole palace, but she was nowhere to be found. The royal guard was immediately split into search parties, and even the king and queen joined in on the search."

"You found her, obviously." Griselle nods.

"Not without difficulty, but we did. When we found her... Amalas... had rebuilt the old Jedi Temple here on the planet."

"What do you mean by _rebuilt_?"

"The Force helped her, and she became in tune with the Force, becoming one with it. She created what was called a Force Burst so powerful that it changed the weather of the whole planet, and even made it flourish." He quietly swallows. He knew she was powerful, but to change the weather of an _entire goddamn planet?_

"After that, she went into a small... Coma, and then awoke like nothing happened."

"That's odd." Din comments. "Was she back to herself?"

"Not... Quite. She was still bubbly and sweet, but there was a changed look in her eye. Often, I would find her in the palace gardens simply staring up at the sky, whether it be night or day." Reyna explains.

"Did she want to leave?" The three share a look with each other, confirming that so he follows up quickly. "Why did she want to leave?"

"She wanted to explore the galaxy from a young age." Griselle says softly. "Her whole life she dreamed of exploring, of going beyond what we knew, and when she finally got that chance..."

"It wasn't in the way she expected, was it?"

"Duchess Satine arrived on Stewjon with two Jedi escorting her. She was here to ask for the king and queen's help in the peace talks because of our negotiator history, and Amalas was the one who talked them into going."

"And then she was dragged into a war she didn't want." Reyna makes an irritated noise in her throat.

"We saw the problems that came from it. After the Empire rose, Amalas was never the same. She suffered and we as a people did as much as we possibly could to help her, but... Between separating from her birth father and her remaining friends, I think it took a heavy mental toll on her." The screams of despair whisper in the back of his head, causing him to swallow quietly.

"But she's better now." Prisca says. "As the years went by, she came out of her shell and became our beloved princess, and now she is our beloved queen."

Din leaves it at that, not really knowing what to go on after that sentence, the four of them returning to reading over the hundreds of names that were on the logs. After about thirty minutes, he had finished two so far before he furrowed his eyebrows curiously.

"Who does have access to the library?"

"The Royal family obviously, anyone who lives in the palace, so like us maidservants, but about one hundred years ago they opened it to the public under a strict rule. They have to have passes in order to be in here." Griselle says, looking up at him over her round gold glasses. "Why?"

"Do... Do you know if the council members have access?"

"Yes, they do. Every council member, high official and royal guard member have access. What are you thinking?"

"I've seen..." He frowns, struggling to get the asshole's name out of his mouth with difficulty. "I've seen Rowan's name pop up on here at least a hundred times so far." The three pause, looking at each other curiously.

"You know what, now that you mention it, I've seen his name pop up a lot, too." Reyna says. "But he _was_ a council member, so his name can pop up just as much as anyone else's." Din frowns slightly, picking up the two screens he had finished and pressing the side of his helmet to turn on rapid read to pick out Rowan's name specifically.

"His name appears a total of one-hundred and fifty times, each year. And every sign in was identical in dates, like he had a routine." He stands up. "Get all the logs and put them in order, from the first one to the latest."

It takes a few minutes to get them in the way he wants them, but once they have them lined up in rows, he turns on the reader once more and scans them all. The most recent sign in was just a day before Amalas stripped him of his title, but according to the total...

"When did you say Amalas came home from Ilum?" He asks.

"Oh, Maker, uh..." Prisca and Reyna look at each other as they try to think.

"It was shortly before the spring equinox, before her birthday. I believe, and this is our month's name, but Wentrus the nineteenth, and then she disappeared two days later on the twenty-first." The three stare at her blankly.

"That's specific." The three chorus. Griselle blushes, fidgeting on her feet. Din points at a date on a screen, allowing them to look at it closer.

"This first sign in was three days after she disappeared." They stare at him before Griselle slowly takes off her glasses, looking at him with worried, furrowed eyebrows.

"Are you sure?" She asks slowly.

"Yes."

"Shit." She mumbles. Oh, so the people here do cuss. "This isn't good."

"Why? I know he's an asshole, but why?"

"Rowan opposed Amalas's coronation from the moment the last prince abdicated, when it was announced that Amalas would take the throne when she was ready." Reyna sneers coldly, but it's aimed at Rowan, not him. "He made a huge deal about it."

"Why did he oppose her so much?"

"He's opposed her since the king and queen officially adopted Amalas." Prisca says, sighing. "He never accepted her as the princess, even after we found out she was part of the royal bloodline after all."

"That's... Odd."

"It is odd." Griselle agrees. "I overheard once, shortly after I had Gloxia and was recovering, that Amalas was not "natural" and she was... Well..." She frowns deeply at the memory, trailing off. Din frowns deeply; the reasons to punch this guy kept growing more and more. Calling her not "natural"? The hell was that even supposed to mean!? Did he mean because of her Force powers, maybe?

"He's always opposed her on the throne?"

"Big time." The three chorus, and he stares at them for a minute before slowly turning his head down to the screen logs as the gears in his brain turn and turn with thoughts. Griselle lays her hand on his vambrace comfortingly.

"I will investigate this further, do not worry. I'm sure I'll be able to turn up something." He nods, still worried, before he looks around for a clock.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"About five o'clock now, why?"

"Captain Yarick is going to, uh, show me around the city this evening." They perk up, smiling brightly at him.

"Oh, you have to go to this amazing little bakery by the hospital." Reyna says.

"Yeah?"

"Stewjoni pride themselves in our sweets. If you have a sweet tooth, that is." To be honest, he never really thought about anything sweet throughout his life. It was mainly just scraps and rations growing up, but now... Well, maybe he'd allow himself to venture out a little bit.

"The city is beautiful this time of year, with the preparations for the festival and all." Griselle comments as she begins to pick up the logs. "I mean, our city is beautiful all the time, but during the festival it's absolutely stunning." Din smiles, the tension in his shoulders draining away as they talked to him about the city and the people while they cleaned up and put everything back in order.

This place... This place actually wasn't so bad.

* * *

Yarick was waiting for him outside of his room as he said he would, nodding at him when he saw him approaching. Din felt a little bad because he was slightly late, and he never was late. He hoped Yarick wouldn't mind.

"Where were you?" The captain asks curiously. Yarick is dressed in simple black pants, casual boots and a tight dark teal shirt that clings to his muscles, the sleeves stopping about mid forearm. Din wonders if he has any shirts that don't cling to him.

"I was in the library helping Griselle with an investigation Amalas gave her." Din explains shortly. Yarick raises his eyebrows but nods and they start walking down the hallway together.

"What investigation?" Yarick asks. "I have been off duty, and Amalas made it a rule for no one inside the guard to talk about work when we're off, but... You're not part of the guard, so..." He drifts off, looking at Din and Din shakes his head slightly, amused by the loopholes that this man can find.

"Last night, I was reading the History of Stewjon and I noticed something weird about the first pages."

"The first pages?"

"Yes. They were different from the rest, newer paper it looked like. When I looked closer I noticed that the threading that had been used for the binding of pages was gold instead of the maroon like the rest of the book, and that it looked like there had been pages previously torn out." Yarick furrows his eyebrows worriedly.

"What, like on purpose?"

"It looked like it to me. Then this morning I met with Griselle and Amalas in the library to see if I was right, and Griselle estimates that the new pages are around thirty years old."

"Thirty? The book was last revised over two hundred years ago, if I recall correctly. Who would rip out pages from a history book?"

"We don't know for sure, but as we looked further, we noticed that Rowan was a regular at the library. He visited the library over fifteen-hundred times in the last thirty years, his first sign in being shortly after Amalas's disappearance when she got back from Ilum."

"Ah, they told you about that?"

"Yes. I also saw her in the dream I had." Yarick hums thoughtfully as they reach the stairs, descending it in silence as Yarick contemplates the information.

"So, you're learning about Stewjon?"

"I am, yes. Amalas wants me to learn more about your people and the planet before the Liberty Festival, especially if I'll be running point with you on the security and all that."

"This is true. That's good, then." Yarick says, a happy tone to his voice. "When the people see you're accepting their culture, they'll be even more receptive to you."

"I really do like it here, but..."

"Trouble follows you, I know. Amalas will ensure yours and the child's safety as the most important thing. You will not be harmed while here, you have my word." Din glances at him unsurely, but he does feel a little more at ease at that. He trusted Amalas, he can trust Yarick, too.

They leave the palace, the sunsets creating a gorgeous array of orange, red and pink across the sky, the blue of the sky slowly fading into a darker color of blue. The city was lit up with lights, and they took a similar route into the city from yesterday, back to the vendor street, where they found Tania's stall. String lights overhung the street, wrapped around poles that crisscrossed overhead on a metal frame.

Tania was sitting on a comfy looking stool while she worked expertly on a piece of jewelry that looked like a necklace. She looks up when she hears them approach, perking up at the sight of the two. She sets down her project, smiling warmly at them.

"I was wondering if you two were going to keep your promises." She teases lightly. Her hair is done back in a bun with several braids leading into it, small gold cuffs throughout the braids and strands. She wears a pretty floral shirt underneath a silver sweater and gray pants, gold sandals on her feet, and her ears are pierced in multiple places with gold earrings. She's pretty, older, but Din feels a motherly vibe coming off of her that he likes.

"Some things came up." Yarick replies easily, smiling softly at her. "How's business?"

"Doing well, actually." Din looks down at her table to look at her items; multiple pieces of jewelry, like necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings were laid out or against the dark blue cloth, sparkling when the right light hit the gems. Velvet jewelry cases also sat on smaller pedestals with either rings, bracelets or necklaces inside. Earrings hung from a little tree to the right, and some were actually displayed in silicone ears to show their designs and how they hung.

"These are new." Yarick comments as he points at one earring display. The earring he points at is pretty; a simple gold stud with a teal gem in it, with a chain that hangs along the curve of the ear with a gold cuff on the helix part (yes, he knew his anatomy). It honestly looks like something Amalas might wear.

"Oh, yes, they are. They're a new design Atlas came up with."

"Who's Atlas?" Din can't help but ask.

"My husband." Tania says. "He's the designer for the jewelry, I just make it."

"How's the application for the store going?" Yarick asks.

"Slow, unfortunately. With the Secretary of the People gone, I think a lot of things will have to be going on hold for now." Din tilts his head.

"What do you mean by that?" He asks.

"Rowan was the Secretary of the People, meaning he was basically in charge of a lot of the permits that the people needed. So for instance, Tania and Atlas have been looking at buying a small space in the Square to expand their business, and they have found a building, but the way it works is they need to apply for the space and prove that they have their proper licenses for the business, and then they'll be considered for that. However, since Rowan's been stripped of his title, all of his work is being handed out to the rest of the Council for proper lookover. But who knows how much shit he let pile up."

Tania snorts. "Probably everything in the course of five years give or take. That's when he started pushing that new decree, right?"

"Probably."

"Wait, so everyone knew about that decree he was trying to do? And he was trying to do that for _five_ years?"

"You have no idea." Yarick says, rolling his eyes. "Unlike past governments, our government is open to our people, in order to gain insight from them about things they would like changed or dealt with."

"That's definitely different than what I'm used to..." He murmurs. Tania smiles, gesturing to her table, changing the subject quickly.

"You don't seem like the jewelry type of person, but choose something, on the house." She points at Yarick. "But you pay."

"That's unfair." Yarick grumbles, and Din smiles slightly, looking down while they argue familiarly. Tania was right; he really wasn't a jewelry person, but maybe... _Maybe Amalas would like something._

He blushes, grateful for his helmet. Maker, how far had he fallen to be considering getting this woman a gift? Well, they were courting, so it would only be right to get her a gift, right? She was already helping him with training Grogu and everything else, why not this? Plus, it might be a nice way to open up about telling her about his "dream" that he had.

His eyes land on a pretty pair of earrings, similar to the chain/cuff he saw earlier. It was gold, with two chains connecting from the stud to the cuff, with two more smaller chains that dangled prettily about two inches long with a gorgeous red gem in the middle of the stud. The other half didn't have the chains connecting to the cuff, just the smaller ones that dangled down with the stud.

"What about this one?" He asks, gently letting the chain rest against his gloves. Yarick gives him a side glance with a raised eyebrow, a slight smirk playing on the corner of his lips.

"That one is very fine! One of our best designs. I think so anyway. Will it be that one?"

"Yes, if you don't mind." Tania takes out a gold colored velvet box from underneath and hands it over, and he's surprised. Those must be a display, then. He slowly opens the box and smiles to himself at the earrings inside. He hoped Amalas would like it.

"Thank you. Are you sure it's on-"

"It's on the house, don't worry. You're a guest!" She says happily, gesturing to his armor. "Plus, I've always liked Mandalorians. Duchess Satine was always nice when she would visit us." He shuts the box and gently puts it in his pouch on his back while Tania looks over at Yarick, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, and I promise you Atlas didn't forget about your order either. Should be done by the end of the week, but we'll let you know." Yarick nods.

"Thank you, Tania." He lays a giant hand on Din's shoulder to gently push him forward. "We'll visit again."

"I hope so!" She says, huffing playfully. "Thank you, Mando! Enjoy yourself!"

"Have a good evening." He says and they start walking down the vendor street, this time taking a right down a wide street that opens up into a beautiful part with shops lining it, and something that smells incredibly good wafts through under his helmet.

"Wow..." He says in awe. Like the vendor street, there were stringed lights over head, but light poles also lined the small sidewalks alongside the shop fronts. The poles had vines wrapping around them with flowers in full bloom. The street ground was made of pale red bricks, the sidewalks made out of a slightly darker shade of brick. He noticed that the vendor stalls were all usually placed on the sidewalks, leaving the street open for anything bigger that might come through. This must be the Square that Yarick was talking about. The street went far down before opening up into a larger area with a big building at the opposite end of where they were, shadowed with the setting suns.

"The Square is where we hold the Liberty Festival every year. Amalas addresses the people on those steps before the morning dance, and then the festival begins." Yarick explains, thoughtful to his silent questions. Din nods in understanding as they enter the square, taking immediate notice of the people milling about; couples holding hands or sharing food on the benches outlining the square, friends singing in groups as they hang off each other, parents chasing their kids as their kids squeal and run around.

"I know you can't eat, but there is a pavilion that I know not many go to. We could get our food and I'll-"

"That'll be okay." Yarick looks at him surprised. "Yeah, I could eat." Yarick looks at him for confirmation, receiving a nod, and leads him to the left where a shop's door was open, letting out the noise of the restaurant filter out. It was quaint; with gray tiles, white walls decorated with gold emblems and portraits, and several tables with people eating at them. Cooks behind the counter stirred what looked like either a really good stir fry, or even noodles from a pot. Din felt his mouth water, surprising himself, but he couldn't help it. Oh, man, he wished he could take off his helmet to smell it.

"Captain!" A woman shouts over the noise of the kitchen, appearing from behind the counter and coming out onto the floor to wrap Yarick in a tight, familiar embrace. She's built like Cara; with the large, muscular arms, broad upper body and muscular lower body, and fiery red hair that's shaved on the sides, with the top part of the hair tied back into a ponytail to keep out of her way. Her eyes are dark blue, and her markings match Yarick's, but they're green instead of blue. At first thought, he thinks it might be Yarick's mother, but he doubts that idea if she greeted him by his title instead of his name.

"And Mando!" She greets, laying a strong hand on his shoulder with a audible thud in a friendly pat. "Good to meet you!"

"You, too." He grunts out. Maker, he's pretty sure she could crush his head with her arms. Yarick, too, probably.

"This is Gladys." Yarick chuckles at his startled tone. "One of the finest chefs here on Stewjon." Gladys simply scoffs.

"Yes, in my tiny little restaurant." She teases. Her rich accent doesn't really match her appearance, Din thinks. "I am a pretty damn good chef, though. So, what can I get you two?"

"Two number five plates, please, to-go." Yarick says.

"Coming right up!" She calls the order back to the crew, then faces Din, putting her hands on her hips. "So, how are you liking Stewjon so far, Mando?"

"It's, uh, really nice here." He internally winces. Yarick snorts, looking away as Gladys laughs in amusement. "Can I rescind that?"

"No takebacks." She teases. "But, yes, Stewjon is really nice. I'm glad Captain Yarick here is taking his precious time to show you around."

"Har-har-har, I have like a year of time off I built up." Yarick says, almost offended. "With Her Majesty gone, I couldn't just take time off."

"I know, I know, I'm teasing you, dude." She says, patting Yarick on the shoulder roughly. "I like seeing you worked up." Yarick grumbles under his breath as a man carries out two to-go boxes and two bottles of water, handing them over to Gladys before returning back to behind the counter.

"Here you guys go, two number fives." Yarick takes them gratefully.

"Thank you, Gladys. Tell the family I say hello." Gladys grins at him before patting Din on the shoulder again.

"And you get some proper nutrition in that system! You're too thin for a Mandalorian!" She walks away before he can stutter out a retort, Yarick just laughing as they leave.

"We didn't pay-"

"It's fine, it was on the house."

"A lot of things seem to be on the house here."

"Mm, perks of being a beloved guest and the captain of the royal guard."

"Oh."

Yarick leads him to the pavilion that he mentioned, totally closed off from everyone else, and they sit down on a bench the furthest away from the lights, Yarick handing over the top box to him along with one of the water bottles. Din sits with his back facing the pavilion and square, overlooking the fields in front of him while Yarick sat with his back to his back, overlooking the pavilion so he had his privacy to eat.

Din opens his box, his mouth watering at the sight of large pieces of cooked meat on top of noodles doused in sauce with different vegetables and rice underneath. Two packets of sauce and plastic silverware in a slot next to it. "Wow, this looks amazing." He comments as he picks up the silverware to unwrap them from the packaging.

"It tastes amazing." Yarick replies. "Pour the sauce on it, adds to the flavor." Din smiles softly, before reaching up slowly, his hands shaking, before gently pulling his helmet off and setting it down next to him. He takes off his gloves, too, and sets them next to his hip.

"So, tell me what it was like growing up with Amalas, if you don't mind." He hears Yarick's slight inhale at the sound of his unmodulated voice, feeling him shift behind him.

"Oh, not at all." Yarick pauses as he takes a bite of his food, humming slightly once it's in his mouth. "Amalas was the troublemaker."

"Was she?" Din asks in amusement, stabbing a piece of meat with the fork and swirling it around with some noodles. He takes a bite and lets out a quiet _moan_ at the taste. It's spicy, not where it was unbearable, but with enough tang that it left a pleasant sensation in his mouth. There's also a hint of sweetness to add to the spice, and Maker, he wondered where this had been his whole life.

"She was." Yarick confirms, sounding a bit breathless. Din doesn't care what it's from; he just focuses on his own food. "Gloxia and I were always the ones bailing her out of situations."

"So the three of you grew up together, huh?" He takes another bite, this time with rice and vegetables and hums at the pleasant tastes that mingle in his mouth. Oh, yeah, this was definitely better than the rations he was living off of. Don't get him wrong, the food in the palace was great, but good street food triumphed anything a royal chef could whip up.

"Since Gloxia's mother was the royal keeper, and my parents were on the former king and queen's court, we were often in the palace. Amalas was always reading when we saw her, and always on a different book even though we were all only like six years old."

"When was the first time you met her?" Yarick takes a bite before answer, chewing while uncapping his bottle.

"She collapsed in the throne room one day, and was suddenly ill for a reason no one knew. The Jedi that taught her things... Well, they had a bond through the Force, and Amalas felt it snap when he died." Din chokes on his own food, quickly quelling it with some water.

"Oh, holy hell." He says, trying not to die from good food mixed with horror.

"Holy hell is right." Yarick says, amusement evident in his voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine. How come she felt him die? Because of the Force? Like how she felt her father die, too?"

"Yes. Jedi create bonds with each other by means of the Force, and because she had such a strong relationship with him, the breaking of that bond was physically painful for her. She was in the hospital for some time. Gloxia and I wanted to be nice and we were able to raid the new shipment of books the library had received, then managed to sneak into the hospital and gift it to her." Yarick smiles to himself, laughing slightly to himself. Griselle had told him the same story earlier, too. Must've been one of their fondest, if they kept repeating it. "I'll never forget the look on her face."

Din can't help but smile. "So, you guys became friends?"

"Yes. The three of us were attached to each other's hips, practically, and that friendship transcended well into our adult lives."

"No wonder she made you two her captain and lieutenant."

"Oh, yes, that too, I suppose." Din snorted a laugh, which was a slightly bad idea, quickly gulping down a third of his water before continuing to eat.

"So, tell me, Mando," Yarick finally says, breaking the silence between them. "What was being a bounty hunter like?" Din pauses, swallowing his food and taking a sip of water before answering.

"A struggle." Yarick waits for him to elaborate patiently. "It was just mainly going by what I could get, whether that be a quarry, food or fuel, and I was pretty much the sole provider for the covert, so there was that stress, too. And everything changed the moment I found the kid, so..."

"Do you think things changed for the better, or for the worse?"

"I..." He pauses, looking out into the fields, thinking about _that_ question. If he had never taken that bounty, if he hadn't been so desperate for credits, he would have never met Cara, Peli, Omera and her daughter, Kuiil, Ahsoka, or repaired his relationships with Karga or IG-11. He would have never met Amalas, and he would have never been sitting here with Yarick if he hadn't taken that bounty. They had struggled and persevered through so much, and now they were here, with the immediate threat to Grogu gone, with the promise from a Jedi to protect them as long as she lived, and Maker, Din doesn't think he'll ever feel this comfortable around anyone else ever.

After a few minutes of silence, Din whispers, his voice almost non-existent:

_"For better."_

* * *

Grogu slept on the trip back to the palace, and Amalas felt ready to fall asleep, too, if she wasn't the one walking. It was nighttime by the time they returned, and Amalas was ready for a hot bath and fresh sleepwear and to settle down in bed, preferably with Din next to her, but that would be too much to ask of him. Plus, he was avoiding her for some reason. She wasn't oblivious; the obvious discomfort she felt emitting off of Din this morning was a clear indicator something was wrong. After yesterday, Amalas wondered what the hell had changed overnight, and she made a silent oath to herself that she would get to the bottom of it. Their day had just been meditating and seeing what Grogu could do, slowly sharpening his awareness in the Force, because despite looking like a child, he was still fifty-years-old, so he had some sort of knowledge. Amalas was pretty sure he just didn't want Din to know he understood a lot of things just to mess with his adoptive dad.

That was an amusing thought.

Gloxia was waiting for her in the foyer, her helmet tucked in her arms as she talked with a few maidservants. Once they saw her come in, though, they curtsied and left the two alone, and Gloxia beams at Amalas happily, but the tiredness is evident in her face.

Amalas smiles. "Did you pull a double again?"

"Hey, with Yarick off, someone has to pick up the slack. Plus, the Sargent has been busy with his wife, so..."

"Ah, yes, carrying triplets is not easy."

"No, I imagine it is not." Gloxia chuckles. Amalas reaches with her free hand and pats her gently on the cheek.

"Go home, Lieutenant. We will be fine for the night. You get a good night's rest, okay?" Gloxia bows her head gratefully.

"Thank you." She starts walking out, before she stops and turns around to look at Amalas, raising her hand. "Oh! I saw Yarick leave with Mando this evening. Looked like they were going into the city." Amalas raises her eyebrows high. That was news to her. Sure, she knew Yarick had a couple of days off, but she didn't expect something like this to happen. After all, it seemed like Din was a little stand-offish with her captain; maybe because of how much they flirted with each other.

"Is that so?" Amalas asks.

"Yeah. Maybe check the Square."

"Thanks, Gloxia." She gives her a two fingered salute before heading out of the foyer. Amalas looks down at Grogu asleep in her arms. The noise of the city might wake up, but she had to see it for herself.

The trip to the Square is short, thanks to routes she found in her teenaged years, and Maker, was it worth it to come down. Her people surrounded Din, some on the ground, some right up next to him as he sat on the stairs leading up to the event hall, looking like he was telling a story, but without his face, she can't be sure. She finds Yarick in the crowd, coming to stand next to him as she watches, the people not paying attention to her; rather on the silver armored man talking to them.

"Well, this was unexpected." She whispers, and Yarick chuckles. "Was this your doing?"

"Sort of. Once we finished eating, I introduced him to some people, and then they took him away. I promise it wasn't pre-planned."

"Mhm." But secretly, she was happy about it. If the people liked him, then their approval of him maybe becoming her husband would be well-

Oh, boy, where was her mind going to? They had barely known each other for a week! Maker, she needed to get a grip.

"I think..." Yarick says slowly, and Amalas looks over at him. "I think your decision of answering the kid's call was a good one."

"And why is that?" Yarick slightly turns to look at her, smiling down at Grogu sleeping on her shoulder, leaning down so he can whisper:

"Because they make you happy. And that's the most important thing in the galaxy."

* * *

"Mama, I'm home!" Gloxia calls out as she sets her helmet down on the entrance's table to start undoing her boots. "You won't believe what I saw last night-"

She cuts herself off, her blood running cold as she takes in the hallway: portraits tilted oddly, some on the ground, the glass shattered and strewn about, some of the furniture turned oddly as if they had been ran into. There were several indents in the walls, and some had small specks of blood. Gloxia reached, gripping the handle of her beloved vibroblade, taking a defensive stance as she slowly made her way through the house. It was dark; the house was _never_ dark.

"Mama?" She calls out, slowly rounding the corner, flicking on the light and looking around the common room before turning around to the spiral staircase leading into her mother's study, slowly starting to ascend it. Her steps were quiet as she walked up the steps, her eyes scanning every inch of her house, never leaving her back unattended for long.

Books were strewn across the floor, opened, the bookcases tilted oddly. Her mother may be small, but she knows how to put up a fight if needed. Her lip trembles slightly at the sight of shiny blood leaking out from behind the last row of bookshelves to the left, the light from the moons lighting it up.

"Mama!" Gloxia cried as she let go off her dagger, running to her mother's body, lifting her into her arms as she struggled to get her gloves off, pressing two fingers to her throat. She lets out a sob at the faint pulse she finds, bordering on relief and despair, lifting her gauntlet to her lips as her communication device activates.

"This is Lieutenant Gloxia with the Royal Guard, I need an immediate medical transport to the hospital, location my home. Hurry!" She wraps her arm below her mom's shoulders, lifting her up as she presses a hand to the wound she can immediately identify, her hand soaking in blood immediately.

"Mama, stay with me, please! Stay with me! _Please, stay with me!"_


	14. "Even I have better bedside manner than that."

"Gloxia!"

Her lieutenant didn't even have to look for Amalas before she jumped up from her seat in the waiting room at the sound of her call, running into the queen's arms for a tight embrace. Din and Yarick trail not far behind, giving the two room while they embraced. Din noticed the red tint on Gloxia's hands and his heart suddenly clenches painfully at the image of her clutching her mother's body while she bleeds out. When Amalas and Yarick had got the emergency ping, they raced to the hospital as fast as they could. Gloxia had barely managed to form two sentences, simply rushing out that she had found her mother stabbed in their house and to get to the hospital as fast as they could. They got to the hospital in record time, mainly because people moved out of Amalas's way like she was the plague.

Grogu cooed up at him worriedly, and Din knew the kid could feel the stirring of emotions in the air. Grogu tried to cuddle up to him as much as possible with the armor in the way, and Din tightened his hold on him. He remembers how bad he felt after being beat up multiple times in front of Grogu, and he couldn't imagine the pain that Grogu would have if something happened to him.

Amalas pulls away from Gloxia, cupping her face in her hands as she fixes the lieutenant with a stern yet gentle look, Gloxia's hands wrapping around her wrists as her lip trembles, her face tear streaked and her eyes were red from crying. The look makes Din's heart clench.

"What happened?"

"I-I came home, a-and I n-noticed-" Gloxia sucks in a breath that mixes with a sob. "S-She was just l-laying there, i-in a pool of-" She breaks off into a sob, Amalas wrapping her arms around her tightly, one arm going around her waist while the other lays on the back of her head. She exchanges a worried look with Yarick, who looks just as worried, if not more.

"Gloxia!" A familiar voice bellows from down the hall. Gloxia pulls away from Amalas, perking up at the voice.

"Mom!"

Hold up.

 _Mom?_ Din thinks, before he's caught off guard when Gladys bursts into the waiting room, her eyes searching around in a panic before they land on Gloxia, and Gloxia runs to meet her. Gladys dwarfs Gloxia with not only in stature, but in height, too. She wraps Gloxia up in a tight hug as Gloxia sobs, Gladys stroking her hair comfortingly as they move to the chairs, whispering words of comfort to her, even though she looks like she's on the verge of breakdown as well.

Din clenches his free hand, ready to fight anybody who dared come up to them, a fierce protectiveness suddenly overriding his thoughts. Amalas turns around and Din swears he feels ice in his body at the look she has on her face, terror actually slightly spiking in his body, almost activating his fight or flight response.

"An attack like this has not occurred in... In centuries!" She growls out, and for some reason, that sends a rather pleasurable shock up his spine. Her anger scared him and turned him on all at once and he really wasn't sure if he should like it or not.

"Who could have done this? Griselle... I don't imagine too many people make enemies with each other here." Din says, his voice also quiet. The two shake their heads.

"That's because they don't." Yarick confirms. "The most someone has ever gotten upset about is probably... Maker, about who is the best cook in the Square."

"Great." He pauses, furrowing his eyebrows. "Rowan... He's locked up, right?"

"Unfortunately, he got bailed out two days ago." Amalas grumbles angrily. "If I could have, I would have prevented it, but I have to follow the law." Yarick snorts quietly,

"You're the queen."

"And?" Amalas replies, staring at Yarick with an even look. Din shifts on his feet, thinking about what they found today. Might as well tell them now.

"Today, we... Discovered something." He looks around before they shuffle together quickly, lowering his voice. "They told me about your disappearance after your trip to Ilum, which led me to discover that Rowan signed into the library a couple of days after your disappearance. Now, the book he checked out wasn't logged, but he signed in exactly six months after the date, and then every year on that date afterwards."

Amalas frowns deeply. "Every year? For thirty years?"

"Yes."

"Why the hell would Rowan be going back to the library every year on the same date?" Yarick questions, his eyebrows furrowed and creating a rather dark gloom on his facial features.

"Unless he is the one who tore the pages out." Amalas says, almost in realization. "He is the only one that has been opposed to me so it would make sense if he's the one who ripped the pages out."

"Do you believe he's the one responsible for this?" Yarick asks, gesturing towards Gloxia and Gladys.

"Rowan is not a warrior. He would not be able to take Griselle like that. He may be a man, but he lacks physical strength." Din quietly snorts in amusement, despite the situation. He loved the way Amalas observed people so bluntly.

"Fuck." Yarick muttered, Din quietly agreeing.

"Let us pay attention to Gloxia right now. She needs us more. We will continue this later." The two nod, turn and walk back up to Gladys and Gloxia, the two looking up at them as they approach. Amalas sits down beside Gloxia, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly while they wait.

Thankfully, though, a doctor emerges from a hallway a few minutes later, looking tired as he approaches.

"Lieutenant?" He asks as he comes to a stop in front of them. Gladys and Gloxia shoot to their feet, Gladys's arm wrapped around Gloxia's shoulders comfortingly.

"Is she okay?" Gladys questions almost immediately. The doctor inhales and Din prepares himself for the worst before a small smile comes onto the doctor's face.

"She's strong, I'll say that." The four let out collective sighs of relief, and Din can't help but let his shoulders slightly drop in relief, too. He'd just met Griselle and Gladys today, but they had already been so nice to him, something he wasn't used to in his life. And Gloxia...

"She's unstable right now, so we have her under close observation. She will be extremely weak, but I think having you two with her right now will help her fight." The two nod, looking at Amalas. Gloxia opens her mouth, though Amalas beats her to the punch. She lays her hand on her shoulder, nodding at her.

"Go be with your mom, we will talk later."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Gladys says, before gently steering Gloxia to follow the doctor down a different hallway.

"Captain."

"Yes, Highness?"

"Contact Sargent Brand and tell him to meet you at their home with a small crime scene unit." Yarick nods, lifting his left wrist to his lips as he talks quietly while walking away. Din gently lays his hand on Amalas's shoulder, his worry evident.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I will be fine once we find the scum who did this." They turn around to start walking out, her arms crossing over her chest. Din notices the clear tiredness on her face, but he's not sure what it's from. It could be from emotional stress or from just the day from training Grogu, and Din desperately wants to wrap her up in his arms.

"Who do you think could've done this?"

"I am not sure, to be honest." She says quietly. "I do not want to create fear among my people, although that may not be an option."

"Why not?"

"Griselle has been the Royal Keeper since she was sixteen. I have known her my entire life, and if word gets out that someone within my circle has been attacked, just shortly after I stripped Rowan of his title? My people will put the dots together."

"He could have hired an outside source."

"Yes, that is a good theory. We'll have to be careful... The question is why would they attack Griselle?"

"Maybe to prevent finding out the truth about the books?"

"But how would he know?"

"Griselle and the two maidservants, plus me, are the only ones who know about this investigation. I told Yarick, but I figured it would be okay to tell him." Amalas rubs her forehead with her fingers as she thinks.

"I hate to even consider this, but... What if there is a traitor among us?" Din looks at her worriedly, stunned she would actually think about that. Besides Rowan, her people seemed extremely loyal to her, so how could someone betray that? Then again, people can be bought or even frightened into working for someone so it was a possibility.

"I mean, it's possible." Din replies carefully. "What do you think we should do?" Amalas stops, and it takes him a couple of paces to realize she stopped walking before he turned to look at her.

"What's wrong?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows even though she can't see him.

"You said "we". Like... Us?" His face flushes, extending down to his neck. Thank the Maker for his helmet, once again.

"Well, I mean, I feel sort of personally responsible, too, since I was helping, too." Amalas blinks at him, still looking at his helmet, and he can almost feel her prodding at his brain for an actual reason. He wouldn't be surprised, considering he heard her voice in his head the day he met her, but she hadn't invaded his privacy like that since.

"I meant it like, we as in being partners and all-" Maker, that sounded even worse! "We could work together, I mean. Figuring out a plan for this situation." She stares at him for a moment longer, before she slightly squints at him and nods.

"Alright. We tell the people that she died."

"I... Even _I_ have better bedside manner than that."

"No, listen. If the attacker hears that their "plan" or whatever succeeded, it may bring us closer to finding the person responsible." Well, that was... Fair, he guessed. Amalas walks past him to the lift further down the hallway, and after exchanging a quick look with Grogu, he follows.

"Basically, tell the people, and have eyes and ears everywhere."

"Yes. If one person is not... Loyal, whereas hundreds of others are, then it will be easier to maybe flush them out." The lift door slides open and they step in, letting it shut before she speaks again. "I will address everyone tomorrow morning. One thing that is important right now is the safety of you and the two servants who also know about this. Security will be increased subtly, as well."

"I can handle myself."

"I know you can, but the brutality of her attack is... Concerning. If it is an outside source like you say, we do not know what kind of species we are dealing with." She pauses as she crosses her arms in front of her chest. "You should meet Yarick at the house. Perhaps you can find things that CSU might not pick up."

"Uh, sure, I could do that. Will you-" He doesn't even have to finish speaking before Amalas takes Grogu from his arms just as the lift door opens. Maker, he loved how she could just read him without words.

"I will watch him. It is late, so I'll get him ready for bed. When you are done, just meet me at my room."

With that, she turns and walks away, leaving him standing awkwardly in a half-empty lobby.

* * *

Din found the house with the coordinates Amalas sent to his vambrace, and several Stewjoni were in and out of the house, dressed in dark blue jumpsuits with words in bold on their backs. They gave him respectful nods as he walked up, slowly stepping in and feeling his heart drop at the condition the house was in. Sure, he's done some damage in his years as a hunter, but those were bounties; criminals running from proper enforcement, or people who weren't paying their debts. Griselle was an innocent woman who got attacked because of an unknown but probably twisted reason.

The runner rug was scrunched up and to the side that probably once laid flat in the middle of the hallway. Pictures were either crooked or dropped on the floor, the glass shattered. He noticed smaller blood splatters on the walls and floors. Hallway tables were overturned and some legs were broken, same with several vases. The common room was destroyed; the couch jostled to the wall from where it looked like it had been in the middle of the room. Well, if one thing was made clear from all this is that Griselle did not go down without a fight.

He walked up the stairs, where he was greeted with a large study with rows of bookshelves. Yarick was off to the side with a technician, his arms crossed over his chest as he peered over the woman's shoulder as she showed him a hologram of the room, probably what it looked like before the attack. Yarick glanced up, looking back down while he processes who just came in before looking up at him and smiling kindly, but there's that sadness behind it. Din doesn't judge him.

"Mando." He greets softly, a small nod to his head. Din tries to not look around and linger on the aftermath of the attack.

"Amalas said that maybe I could help with whatever you guys need." He says while slowly looking around. His visor lands on the large pool of blood on the floor in between the space from the last bookshelf and desk. It's still semi-fresh, the edges slightly drying already and seeping into the hardwood floors, and Din shivers. He couldn't imagine Griselle laying on the floor, cold and alone until Gloxia found her.

"That would be appreciated. The techs have just about finished with the scene, but... If you'd like to have a look around, go ahead. Is that okay?" He asks the woman and she nods.

"Yes, please. An outside eye might help." He looks around, reaching up and pressing the side of his helmet to turn it on, slowly scanning the areas and angles of where the attack took place. He steps to the right a little bit to scan up the wall on his left, narrowing his eyes at the tall splatter way above Griselle's height. Not to mention...

"This isn't Stewjoni." He says, pointing up at it. "You guys have red blood, this blood is yellow." Another tech comes up, marking it with a tag before snapping a picture of it with another data screen, but this one is smaller, shaped like a card.

"Swab it." Yarick says, the tech putting away the screen and pulling out a small swab, taking a sample before sticking it in a tube. "Good eye, Mando."

"Thanks. Amalas..." He clears his throat at the curious look from the tech by Yarick. Shit, formality is important here, isn't it? If he called her by her name, was that wrong? Did they see that as too personal? "She said that it may be a species we don't know of."

"Hm. From what we've gathered here, that's more than likely." He gestures to the hologram that the woman is holding. "Cordia was showing me how the attack might've occurred. Replay it for us, please."

Cordia rewound the hologram to the beginning, showing what might have happened. "The door wasn't forced open, so we believe that she opened it without knowing who it was. Then it must've escalated..." He can barely even watch the replay, wondering distantly why he'd become so soft all of a sudden. Or maybe it was just the part of him that hated seeing innocent beings being harmed because of some sort of personal vendetta against either Amalas or him.

The replay ends and he looks down at the pool of blood, frowning deeply to himself.

"The clean up crew will be here shortly." Cordia says, sliding the screen in a bag that hung on her belt. "We should clean up now. Thank you, both of you. Tell Gloxia I'm sorry for her loss."

Whoa. Word spread quickly.

Yarick nods at her, then lays his giant hand against Din's lower back, making him stiffen slightly. He was starting to get used to Amalas's touch, but Yarick's touch was another thing. He'd grown accustomed to the large man correcting his posture and stance for the dance, but this was... Personal, it felt like. Din ignores the pleasant warmth in his body, subtly moving away from his hand and starts heading down the stairs, Yarick following shortly after giving his farewells to the team.

They walk down the empty street, silence hanging between them. Din doesn't have to be a Jedi to know that Yarick is worried, but in the same aspect he doesn't really know what to say.

"Amalas told you about her plan already?"

"Mm, she contacted me shortly before you arrived and briefly explained it. It's smart."

"Is it? I mean, it's putting her own people in danger."

"Yes, it is." Yarick sighs. "It's a dangerous plan, but Amalas is never wrong with her plans."

"Oh, is that so?"

"During the time of the Clone Wars, when she served for the Republic, she was nicknamed the Great Strategist by the Separatists. No one knew if it was a person or a droid creating the plans, and when Amalas left the Republic, their win rate dropped remarkably."

"Why did she leave?" Yarick inhales the fresh night air, and Din slightly wishes he could smell the air too. The air filter probably didn't do the air any justice.

"Basically forced out. When Mandalore was taken by a Sith lord shortly before the Clone Wars ended, the Sith lured her father, and unknowingly, lured her as well. He... He killed her mother in front of her father, and Amalas witnessed it from afar. She waited until they had taken her father away before attacking. She swore to never fall to the Dark Side, and she didn't, but she came very close. Another Sith lord... Well, let's just say she fought three, and almost won."

Din stops walking briefly before he lightly logs to catch up to him. "I'm sorry, did you just say she fought three weirdos and nearly _won_?" Yarick chuckles.

"Amalas was a powerful kid. So was Anakin, and that's why they were two sides of the same coin, both having different destinies." Yarick casts his gaze to the bricks below his feet. "Amalas still holds many regrets on things she thinks she could've done differently."

For some reason, Din understands that. If there was chance that he could've changed certain things in his life, he knew he would, but at the same time, he wouldn't be where he is today; on an unknown planet, with an adopted green gremlin, and a beautiful... What was he even supposed to call her, now that they were courting? Future _riduur_ was a bit far fetched. And girlfriend... That sounded like they were teenagers just fooling around.

"Are you going to talk to Amalas tonight?" Yarick asks, pulling him from his thoughts. He furrows his eyebrows, thinking about the exhaustion she had on her face earlier.

"I'm... Not sure, to be honest. She looked pretty tired, so I might wait. And with everything going on right now, I don't think it'd be the best idea."

"That's thoughtful." Yarick says, eyeing him through the corner of his eye. "Amalas will appreciate that."

"Yeah. Now to work up the courage to tell her."

"This is true."

"Any advice?"

"With Amalas? You're on your own there, pal."

"Thanks." Din grumbles as they walk up the steps to the palace. Yarick chuckles.

"Just be mindful when you do tell her. You did experience something incredibly personal to her, after all. Did you try meditating like I suggested?"

"Yes." He mumbles. "It didn't work." Yarick booms a laugh, relieving some of the tension in the air.

"Why?"

"Not strong enough with the Force, I guess."

"Hmm, maybe you could go to the temple and try it. Amalas has always said it swims with the Force, so it may reach out to you then."

"I might try that... After we find the scum who did this." Yarick nods as the guards open the doors, allowing them in before they shut with a thud behind them, locking securely. Good to know that Amalas was quick about setting the new security procedures into place. They stop in the foyer, and Yarick pats him on the shoulder, and Din is actually kind of liking the way Yarick's touch feels, even through the armor and padding. It's... Familiar, like a brother almost.

"Despite the... Odd turn of the night, I enjoyed spending time with you. With the current events right now, I... Don't think it would be good to continue the lessons. For now, anyway. Let's break for a day and then we will see how things go."

"Yes, that sounds good." Yarick gives him a nod, then heads to his room. Din waits in the lobby for a few minutes, debating what to do next. Amalas said to meet her at her room after he was done, but after everything that happened tonight, he wanted to go and take another before he met her.

Yeah, he was going to do that.

* * *

Din dressed in... Well, his sleep clothes, and pulled on his helmet after taking a nice hot shower to think about what he was going to say. He made sure his armor was okay, and slid the jewelry box into a safe drawer in the bedside table to hide it, then he started heading up to her room. He felt bad, considering the fact that all day yesterday it was all about making sure she was relaxed and taken care of, and then he had the cursed dream, and now he was acting all awkward around her. Maker, she must think he's bipolar with the way he's acting. He really needed to get his shit together, or else this was never going to work. Din realized with a slight start as he walked upstairs to her room, that he really needed to be at her side, to be there as a support pillar for her. Yarick was her best friend growing up, but there was only so much that Yarick could do. And since they agreed they are courting each other, he _needs_ to be there for her. He needs to be there for Grogu and Amalas, no matter the situation.

Security was increased throughout the palace, he noticed that as he made his way to her room, but they didn't give him any glance, which he was really glad for. Her people weren't dumb, they knew when someone was courting a person, so they probably already knew... Well, they probably already knew what was going on between the two.

The thought made his face heat.

Din gently knocks on the door, trying to not look at the guards that are now guarding her hallway, and he only waits for about five seconds before Amalas's sleepy voice came through.

"Come in." He winces. _Shit, did I wake her up?_ He thinks as he quietly opens the door. Thankfully, the guards paid no attention to him, and he wondered if it was because they didn't care or Amalas had told them previously he would be coming up to her quarters. The light turns on at the sense of motion, but it's dim, illuminating the room barely enough for him to see the shadows of things.

"Did I wake you?" He whispers as he shuts the door quietly behind him. The helmet turns on its night vision, and he can see Grogu sleeping on a pillow next to Amalas, who right now is lifting her head to look at him, before she lays it back down, raising her hand to her forehead to rub it. She probably had a headache from all the sudden stress in the course of a couple of hours. That made him feel even more guilty about waking her.

"No, you did not. I was just... Dozing."

"Let me get Grogu and I'll be out of your-"

"Will you stay?" He stops short in his walk to the bed, halfway to it, blinking at her, then realizes she can't see his surprised look.

"You... You want me to stay?"

"Please. For the night, at least." There's something... Vulnerable about the tone in her voice, and there's a slight pang to Din's heart. Maker, he can't even imagine the stress she must be experiencing.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He hesitates for a second longer before slowly pulling his helmet off, blinking to adjust to the dim lighting and setting it down as quietly as he can on the chest at the end of her bed. Amalas moves slightly towards the middle of the bed, lifting the covers so he can crawl in. He lays down carefully beside her on his side, sliding one arm underneath the pillows and adjusting them to where it was comfortable both of them, then pulls the covers up with his other. Amalas shifts so her back is pressed up against his chest, her body warmth pleasant against his own. She's wearing a simple silky sleep shirt and shorts, and she smells really good... Like flowers in a field. He drapes his arm over her side as she settles her head on the pillows, her hand extending and laying on Grogu's stomach, watching him breathe softly. He has his own blanket on the pillow, and Din can't help but smile.

The light goes off, and the light from the moons is the only thing that illuminates the room, but even that light is dim, occasionally going out before lighting back up. It must be cloudy tonight. They lay in silence for a while, and Din debates whether or not to strike up a small conversation, but then he hears her quiet, rhythmic breathing, and he raises his head slightly to see her asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful. Din shifts a bit closer to her, bringing her closer with his arm and then reaching with his fingers to hold onto Grogu's pillow, and slowly begins to drift off himself.

Thankfully, he has no dreams that night.

* * *

Din woke up the next morning with his body clock, opening his eyes slowly and blinking to clear away the heaviness that sat on his eyelids, and then he registers a heaviness on his left side, and a slight weight on his chest. He waits a few minutes to allow his body and mind to wake up before slightly lifting his head to look at his situation. He was laying on his back, and Amalas had cuddled up to his side, wrapping her leg around his and had just buried her face into his shirt, but he was thankful she was sleeping peacefully. Grogu, at some point in the night, had crawled off his pillow to come lay on Din's chest, his tiny three fingered hands clenching his shirt as he snored.

Din felt like his heart was being squeezed between the two's combined cuteness. He lifted his hand slowly from where it had been laying on her hip, gently laying it in her messy curls, and lifting his head to gently kiss her head, sighing softly. She shifts under his touch, moving up closer to him and letting out a content sigh in her sleep, making him smile. They lay like that for some time while he stares up at the canopy of the bed, and he wishes he could fall back asleep, but it's almost impossible now. His mind is already awake, thinking about Griselle, Gladys and Gloxia, and wondering if there was a connection between the investigation and the attack. Considering the fact that they had literally just discovered the new piece of information that morning, and literally that night she gets attacked? Amalas's theory about an imposter being among them was becoming more and more likely. It was either one of the maidservants or someone overheard their conversation, and he really, really hoped it was someone eavesdropping on them. Reyna and Prisca were so nice and sweet, but looks can be deceiving. He learned that when he met Grogu.

"Your thoughts are too loud." Amalas murmurs sleepily, making him look down at her. He internally beats himself up. He forgot about their connection through the Force.

"Sorry." He whispers. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"'S okay." She replies and he wants to kiss all over her face. Sleepy Amalas... Well, that was the cutest fucking thing he's ever seen... Besides Grogu, of course.

He rubs her shoulder lightly as she stretches her legs out like a loth-cat, before draping an arm over Grogu and rubbing his back. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good, actually." She replies quietly. "I... Have not slept that good in a while." His heart clenched a little bit at that. All he does in response, though, is rub her shoulder soothingly, and then the words are out of his mouth before he can think about it.

"I mean, if I help you sleep, maybe I should sleep in here every night."

Why the _fuck_ did he just say that?

Amalas is quiet for a few minutes, and he knows he messed up big time. Oh, Maker, why did he have to run his mouth like that? Did he cross a line? Was she going to be mad at him because he was so off yesterday and then he goes and suggests _that_? Din wished she would just stab him with her lightsaber. It'd be better than the freaking two sided life he was living.

"Maybe you should."

His heart stops briefly, and he slowly tilts his head down to look at her.

"I... Really?" He asks.

"Why not?"

"I... I'm just... I'm sorry I've been so..."

"Blocked off? Irritated? Cross? Two sided?"

He lets out a slight sigh.

"Yes."

"What happened between our day together and the next morning?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try to."

Din goes quiet. Should he tell her? If he did, there could be two results from it. One, she's fine with it and understands it was from the Force, or two, she gets upset and closes off. And well... He didn't want that.

"I had... A dream. I think it was from the Force." Amalas shifts her head slightly, but she doesn't look at him, waiting patiently for him to continue. "It... It was-"

A knock cuts him off, and Amalas sits up quickly as if it was purely instinctual.

"Your Majesty?" A servant called from the other side. "We're here to get you ready for the announcement." Din covers his mouth with his hand, wrapping his arm around Grogu as he sits up, looking at Amalas, panic written across both of their faces.

"Your Majesty? Are you awake?" Amalas points at the closet door, and he quietly and carefully gets out of bed, cradling Grogu with one hand as he quickly grabs his helmet and slides it on, disappearing into the closet and pressing his back up against the wall to hide in the darkness.

"Y-Yes, I am awake." She clears her throat to steady her voice. "You may come in." He holds his breath, hoping to the Maker that Grogu would stay asleep despite the voices. He hears the door open and he tries to make himself even smaller in the closet's corner.

"Good morning, my lady." He hears _three_ voices say. Fuck. If they found him, he wondered how quickly it would take for the gossip to spread across the planet. _I'm so fucking doomed._

"Good morning, girls." Amalas replies smoothly. He did have to admire her skill of keeping calm despite the situation, because he was freaking out. He normally only panicked if he realized he was outnumbered more than he could handle, but this situation was hella different.

"What kind of scent would you like today, my lady?" One of the girls asks.

"Oh, uh, you choose." Amalas replies, her voice getting closer. "The three of you choose the scent you like, and then uh, we will compromise."

"Are you sure, my lady?" Another girl asks.

"Yes, why not? It will... Lighten the mood." The girls agree ecstatically and then a few seconds later, Amalas pokes her head into the closet.

"Leave, quickly, before they come out." She whispers. He nods, quickly lifting his helmet up and pressing a quick and small kiss to her lips before pulling it back down and quickly making his exit. Thankfully, the guards were gone, and he was able to make his way back to his room with no one seeing him, his heart pounding nonetheless.

Once he got into the room, he let out an audible sigh of relief, just as Grogu woke up. He lifts his head off of Din's chest, looking around tiredly at his surroundings before looking up at him, cooing sadly.

"I'm sorry." Din winces. "We had to leave." Grogu coos quietly, almost in understanding. Din walks over to his bed, setting Grogu down first before pulling off his helmet. Grogu coos happily at his face, and he chuckles.

"You sleep okay?" He asks, and he's not sure if Grogu understands him or not, but might as well ask him anyway. "I did, which was... Really nice. Amalas said that maybe we could sleep more in her room more often too." He giggles excitedly, slapping his hands on his legs as he looks up at Din. "You'd like that?" He coos in response and Din feels warm and happy. He...

_He was happy._

* * *

Instead of the lessons that morning, he gave Grogu a bath, took a shower himself, and then dressed, polishing his armor until it was as shiny as possible, made sure his undergarments and paddings were fresh and clean, and then suited up. He wasn't sure why he was taking such careful consideration of his appearance. Well, he always did. The Mandalorians had always prided themselves in their clean, sleek beskar'am, so making sure his armor was shiny and polished was simply a habit. At the same time, though, he knew how dire the situation was. If the people didn't feel safe after an attack like this, and if they started to lose faith in Amalas's ability to protect them, then the whole planet might be thrown into chaos. He didn't think that would happen, considering the fact that a lot of people seemed happy under Amalas's rule, but fear was a powerful thing. He couldn't imagine the pain Amalas would be in if her people lost faith in her.

Maybe that's why he was so careful about his appearance. The attack occurred shortly after he showed up; if someone connected that, they might think he was a danger to them and to their planet. And... And for some reason, Din didn't want that. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because of how he felt toward Amalas right now, the odd and strange connection they somehow shared, or because he honestly hoped that being here on Stewjon would be a chance at a new start. But if the people didn't feel safe with him, then...

Din sighs as he pulls on his helmet, Grogu giving him a curious look in response. Din's not sure how he should respond, but he pulls on his little satchel and then gently tucks Grogu inside. He made sure that even Grogu looked his best, finding the best little outfit that would draw out his cuteness the best. Maker, that sounded so weird coming from him.

"Alright, buddy. You ready?"

Grogu coos softly in response, and they start making their way to the foyer where they were told to meet. Amalas was going to give the announcement about not only the attack, but also Griselle's "death". She was going to be under a tight security detail, her being alive only known to the guard and her doctors, and according to Yarick, no one was to talk about this with anyone. The guards weren't even allowed to talk about it with their spouses and Din understood that. If someone leaked that Griselle was alive, whatever plan that Amalas was formulating might be ruined, and that couldn't happen. Not when the situation endangered two civilians and a guest on the planet.

They met in the main foyer, where Yarick was talking to the guard in bronze Din had seen walking away with Amalas the other day after their spar match. Yarick spots him coming down the stairs, smiling up at him.

"Morning, Mando." He greets kindly. Din gives him a nod, and Yarick looks over to the man in bronze. "Sargent Brand, this is the Mandalorian." Sargent Brand nods at him. He has markings exactly like Yarick's but they're red instead of blue. His eyes are bright green, his skin tanned well. He has his helmet on, but his hair is more than likely red.

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally. I apologize that we have not been able to before." A pink blush floods his face. "I have been busy with my wife."

"She's pregnant with triplets!" Yarick announces cheerfully, making the Sargent's pink blush darken. He slaps Yarick's arm, resulting in booming laughter from the Captain. Din can't help but smile before looking down at Grogu.

"Well, good luck with that. I can barely handle this one, I couldn't imagine handling three at once." The Sargent sighs heavily.

"It runs in her family." He says, a resigned tone to his voice. "So, if we have more kids later on, it is more than likely that twins or triplets will result from it again." Din nearly chokes on his own spit.

"I am... Really sorry, to be honest." Sargent Brand laughs lightly.

"We get that a lot." Din chuckles, surprising himself again. Grogu coos up at the three curiously.

They converse for a little bit before Yarick's gaze is pulled away from the conversation, Brand following closely after, their mouths agape as they stare behind him. Din furrows his eyebrows before turning around, and Maker, he can feel his heart go poof at the sight.

Amalas descends the stairs regally, looking like a goddess. A gold crown sits on her head with gorgeous red gems, the design intricately crafted. It sits well on top of her head, slanting well along the braids that go on the side of her head, loose yet delicately placed strands of hair falling down the sides of her face prettily. The braids run into a low ponytail where her hair falls over her shoulder, coming undone from the braid connecting to the ones on the side of her head, and her hair falls in loose waves instead of curls. Her dress matches the jewels on her crown, a dark scarlet red that looks like blood of her enemies designed as a dress. Strands go over the collar of her shirt, and he's disappointed that the hickeys he left on her were gone. The bacta from the other day must've healed them overnight, because he remembers that they weren't on her yesterday either. There's geometrical designs on the sides, exposing her sides and the middle of her stomach. Identical pieces of cloth fell down her arms like a half arm cape. Her markings were bright, and he noticed a light dusting of gold shimmer on her shoulders. Her lips are painted red to match her dress and she wears a gold gauntlet on her left wrist, her communication link bracelet on her right wrist. The earrings he got her yesterday would look absolutely stunning with the ensemble.

Din almost falls to his knees to worship her right then and there.

"Wow." He lets out instead, breathless.

"You can say that again." Yarick murmurs behind him. Amalas comes to a stop in front of them, smiling kindly at them as she puts her hands over each other in front of her. Din can't help but stare, his visor doing nothing to hide it.

"Do I look okay?" She asks, a faint pink blush on her cheeks.

"You look fantastic." Din blurts before he can think. He notices that the lightning scar on her stomach is peeking out from underneath the fabric, painted gold to match the dusting on her shoulders, accenting the battle scar quite well.

The three maidservants behind her giggle, and he also hears amused chortles from Yarick and Brand, but he doesn't care, staring at the beauty before him. Grogu squealing happily catches his attention, finally pulling his vision from her and Amalas smiles down at Grogu happily.

"Well, you look quite handsome today, little one!" She compliments, then looks up at Din. "So do you." The air punches out of his lungs at the forward compliment in front of everyone, but it just makes it so much more appealing. He blushes brightly, actually kind of shifting on his feet, before quickly moving to the side so she can look at Yarick and Brand.

"Is everyone gathered?" Amalas asks.

"Yes, my lady." Brand responds. Amalas takes a breath, and Din subconsciously takes her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze, not really caring about what the others thought in that moment. All he cared about was making sure Amalas felt comforted and supported.

"Ready?" Yarick asks quietly, and taking a deep breath and a quick look at Din, Amalas nods.

Yarick, Din and Brand follow behind her as she heads down the hallway to the front doors, where two guards await, opening the doors once they see them approaching. The light would have been blinding if not for the visor and HUD, the suns at their morning pique. They walk up to the edge of the stairs, where Amalas comes to a stop. Yarick and Brand stop a few feet to the side behind her on her right and Din takes a place behind her as well on her left, lining up with the Captain and Sargent. Grogu shifts in his satchel on his hips, and Din overlaps his hands in front of him, scanning the crowd slowly. There's an unease among the crowd, and he wonders just how quickly things spread. No wonder they were trying to keep Griselle being alive a secret.

"My people." Amalas says, her voice commanding and booming over the audience. He notices a little video recorder droid hovering above the crowd, its focus on the four standing on the steps.

"I apologize for the sudden call for attention, but I have some upsetting news that needs to be shared." She takes a breath. "Griselle Athos was killed in her own home last night."

The people gasp, some covering their mouths, some leaning into their spouses or friends for support, and others just stared up at her in shock. He notices the unease spike at that, the crowd becoming restless.

"We are not sure who is behind the attack," Amalas says, easing the tension slightly, "but we are launching an investigation. You do not need to be afraid. Our guard will be increased subtly and not to the point where you feel threatened, but safe. As we investigate this, we ask for your patience, trust and honesty. If anyone has any information or maybe saw something odd, please come forward. Lieutenant Athos and her mother are mourning, so please give them time before sending them your condolences. My people, there is no need to be afraid. I will give my life to protect this planet and all of you. We have survived much worse than this, and we have come out stronger than ever because of it. We will find justice for her death."

Din has to admire Amalas because in this moment he realizes why she's a good queen and leader. It's no wonder she was a leader in the Clone Wars. It's no wonder that her uncles left her the throne, because she made a damn good monarch. _It's no wonder he was falling for her so quickly._

Amalas makes a fist, pressing it to the middle of her heart before raising it in the air, four fingers straight up and pressing together with the thumb turned in on the palm.

"We are Stewjoni!" The crowd straightens as if they were robots giving orders, everyone copying the action quickly.

_"We are Stewjoni!"_


	15. "I missed you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the kudos and bookmarks and hits, and a special thank you to Bmhobbs96 for first of all offering to draw Amalas on chapter one of this story, and thus launching a really amazing friendship where we've been able to brainstorm so much of this!! I just want you guys to know that your kudos and views make a huge difference to me, and it makes me remarkably happy when I see someone left a comment or kudos. 
> 
> Thank you guys so much! Enjoy Chapter 15!

The crowd dispersed shortly after, a little bit more relieved at Amalas's promise, but Din knew there would still be uncertainty until this matter was resolved. The five of them headed back inside, Yarick and Brand falling in step with Amalas while Din lingered behind as she gave out instructions. Din admired her leadership qualities; he knew how to delegate, but that was with only maybe a hundred people. He couldn't imagine delegating a whole guard and ensuring the safety of an entire planet. He could barely ensure the safety of himself and of Grogu.

"Make sure Gloxia and Gladys are put in a temporary room until this is figured out. Has Prisca and Reyna received their protection detail as well?"

"They have, yes. They are working as normal with their guards following close by."

"Good." As they reach the main foyer, another guard approaches them, bowing respectfully to Amalas before straightening.

"Your cruiser has been prepared and is ready to leave, Your Majesty." The guard says and Din stops short. Ready to leave? Where was... Was she leaving? The hell? She didn't tell him anything about leaving. That meant he and Grogu would be left alone with people he didn't really know. Well, Amalas was someone he didn't really know, but he could trust her. Yarick too, but with the current transition of events, he didn't know who he could trust.

"Where are you going?" The question is out of his mouth before he can think about anything else. Amalas takes a breath, turning around to face him.

"It is law that if the peace is disrupted on Stewjon, the reigning monarch must go to each town across the planet to reassure them that everything is okay. So, I will be out of the palace for a few days."

"How long is a few days?" Din isn't really sure why he's pouting internally. She's a queen, she has more important things to take care of than to pay attention to a man she just met a week ago.

"Three to four days." She replies, raising her eyebrow slightly as if she senses his feelings. "I will be leaving Yarick in charge while I am gone, and I would like for you to work with him during this investigation. Our scientists are running the blood that you found and are processing the crime scene. I want you to help him with whatever he asks, understand?"

Well, he couldn't exactly deny a direct command from the queen herself.

"Yes." He replies flatly. Amalas nods in satisfaction, looking down at Grogu next.

"And when I get back, little one, we will return to training." She promises and Grogu giggles, reaching up to her. Din moves his arm away from him so Amalas can take him out of the satchel, holding him close and rubbing his back. "You watch your dad, okay? Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Grogu gives an enthusiastic "ah" in response. Din glares at his kid.

"Womp rat." He mumbles, and Grogu just giggles. Amalas smiles at the child before stepping up close to Din, reaching up and putting her hand on the side of his helmet, smiling up at him, warmth and fondness present.

"I will be back soon." She promises. At that moment, Din doesn't care that there are multiple guards looking at them curiously, because all he cares about is the remarkable woman in front of him.

"Be careful." He manages out.

"You, too." She gently hands Grogu back to him, giving him one last lingering look before she and the guard turn and walk away to the landing platform. Grogu's ears droop sadly, his noise mimicking the feeling, and Din can't help but feel the same way. But there was a much bigger thing going on that needed his attention more. He turns to Yarick, who nods at him.

"What do you want me to do?" Din asks. Yarick pauses for a brief minute as he thinks about it, before looking at him curiously.

"We have security cameras on every street corner and in the neighborhoods. We already have the technicians working on it, but it might go faster with a fresh eye. Is that okay?"

"Sounds good." He said, more gruff than he had intended it, making a quick ping of guilt hit him for a second. If Yarick caught it, he didn't let on.

* * *

The laboratory was sleek and futuristic, in his opinion, but because of their wealth, it made sense that all of their equipment was the highest quality out there. Technicians worked across the main room and side rooms, either writing on the screens or tablets or reading off of them, some switching between looking at a microscope and a computer. Yarick leads him to a man hunched over a lab table, muttering under his breath as he looks at a specimen sample.

"Doctor Kiver?" The man looks up, blinking slightly before smiling. His hair is shorter than what he's seen so far, but he notices a small ponytail behind him over the lab coat he wears. His eyes are gray-blue and he has markings similar to Yarick's, but he doesn't have the lines on his cheeks, just the three on his chin and they're a light red, almost pink but not as light.

"Captain! Good to see you." What, did everyone know each other on this planet?

Okay, dumb question, but still.

"I have brought someone who might be able to help you with the investigation." Yarick says, stepping aside. Din gives a respectful nod, ignoring the odd shiver that goes down his spine as the scientist gives him look over that lasts a little too long.

"A Mandalorian!" He says, awe in his voice. "Now there's a fine specimen that is interesting to look at." He flushes under his helmet. What was this dude's deal?

"He was not born on Mandalore so he doesn't have that blood in him." Yarick informs, and the scientists face drops.

"Shame." He sighs out. "Are you a human then?"

"Yes."

"Hm." He gives him another glance, and Din shifts on his feet uncomfortably. "Well, then, we are still running the blood sample, but the footage can be combed through."

"Sounds good to me." Din replies. "You don't mind if I have the child with me, do you? I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Grogu makes a noise of disappointment and the scientist chuckles.

"Of course. We'll set you up somewhere where he can't get into anything hazardous." The man motions another scientist over, and he and Yarick follow her to a small room off to the side where she sets up a small computer screen and plugs in a data stick.

"This is the traffic footage from the Athos' street and Mr. Otha's street as well." He glances up at her.

"Rowan?"

"Yes, sir." She replies. "On Queen Amalas's orders." Must be a side investigation they want to keep quiet then.

"Thank you." Yarick says, and she nods. The man from earlier comes in, bowing his head to the scientist as she passes while Yarick sets his spear against the wall.

"Can I ask something?" Din asks.

"You just did." Yarick responds, and Din slowly turns his head to look at him. Yarick smiles at him teasingly, and Din turns back to the scientist.

"Why do some people have the ability to use... the Force-" was that the correct terminology? "But some can't? Like the queen and the child?" He gestures to Grogu on his hip, who looks up at him curiously. He wasn't quite sure why he asked the question but it had been lingering in the back of his brain ever since he met Grogu. Not to mention everything he was learning little by little, and the dream that he got the other night...

The scientist hums, taking a seat in a chair in front of a desk nearby, pushing up his safety glasses. "It really depends on their midi-chlorian count, or M-Count."

"So... What kind of count do they have to have?"

"Usually about two to twenty-five hundred."

"Two thousand and five hundred?"

"Yes. Some though, have an extremely high M-Count, like-"

"The queen." Yarick finishes, sitting down on one of the chairs by the table.

"Her Majesty is another story." The scientist says but there is a weird brightness to his eyes. Like excitement almost. Din glances down at Grogu, then at the computer.

"We have time." He gently takes Grogu out of the satchel and sets him on the ground before pulling it over his head and setting it on the back of the chair, sitting down as Yarick starts up the computer. The scientist shifts in his seat as he ponders over what he's going to say, then takes a breath and looks at the two of them.

"Her Majesty was born because the Force willed it, I'm sure you've heard that multiple times as of late. Because of that, she has an M-Count of..." He tilts his head back and forth. "Estimated about thirty or so thousand." He held back the noise of surprise that threatened to leave his throat.

"Thirty thousand?"

"Anakin Skywalker had a count of twenty, but he was carried through a woman. Amalas was just born into thin air." Yarick comments as he finds the footage. He doesn't play it, leaning back in his chair while they conversed.

"How many does a Jedi usually have?"

"About fifteen or so. General Skywalker was thought to be the highest recorded holder of the Jedi until Her Majesty came along." He says. "For instance, Miss Tano only has a count of about sixteen, and Master Yoda, the same one of the child's species, had an count of... Maker, I think maybe seventeen?"

"And how much does the queen have?" It felt weird saying Amalas's title, but he figured if he was too personal with her name, the people might think there was something else going on between them, which there was, but until they were at that point to announce it, it was best to keep it as professional as possible.

The scientist hesitates for a moment, taking a breath before answering. "Give or take... forty or forty-five thousand?"

This time he does choke on his own surprise. No fucking wonder she was considered one of the most powerful Jedi in history and why the Force sent him those dreams. _No fucking wonder she was able to change the weather of an entire planet._ Yarick looks at him in amusement while the scientist looks concerned. He rubs his throat, coughing slightly. Yarick pats his pauldron lightly before shaking his head.

"We should... Get off this subject." Yarick says, making Din and the scientist look at him in agreement. Grogu waddles around, the new clothing nice and tight around his legs, giving him room to move without the sack hanging around him. "Let's see what the footage tells us."

They comb through the past week of footage for a good hour or so, watching carefully for anything out of the ordinary. Occasionally he has to pull his attention away to see what Grogu is doing, but he finds his kid happy in the middle of the room with some weird shaped blocks that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Either that or they were already there and he never noticed. At least it kept him occupied.

They finally reached yesterday's footage, and Din leaned in to watch carefully. The morning started normal with everyone leaving their houses to go to work or school, which made sense in their society. Thankfully, the security feed was actually pointed in the right direction, so it viewed everyone's front steps. About midday, the time stamp indicated it was shortly after they found out the new evidence, a very familiar and annoying face popped up, walking down the street like he owned it.

Din furrows his eyebrows and he hears a quiet snarl from Yarick.

"Is that Mister Otha?" The scientist asks.

"Yes." Yarick replies. "What is he doing?" Rowan stops outside of the Othos house, and Din can't help the bumps that spread on his body, a bad feeling coming to his stomach, The sleezeball looks around carefully before walking up to the front steps, looking around carefully before he kneels and tucks something in the potted plant by the door. Then he looks around again before walking back the way he came.

"What did he put?" Yarick asks. Din feels his stomach sink as realization dawns on him.

"Some bounty hunters would put motion sensors or the like where they knew the bounty would be staying. When the sensor goes off, they knew their quarry was there and they were able to take it." Personally, he never used the tactic, but the hunters he knew that would never stayed in his circle for long until he went solo completely. Starting out as a bounty hunter was rough so he had to accept help on a few occasions, and then once he was able to have his own tactics and moves, then he went solo, only accepting helps from informants or anyone willing to guide.

"Shall we go and find the sensor?" The scientist asks and Yarick immediately shakes his head.

"No. It is better for Rowan to think his action succeeded. If he gets the alert the sensor was tripped again, after we were swarming the house last night, he will get suspicious and he may disappear. We cannot have that." The man nods. "Continue running the blood sample and keep this quiet. This information does not leave this room. It stays between the three of us until I can contact Her Majesty with an update."

Din turns his attention back to the footage, noticing that it was night now. However, as the suns set in the horizon, the feed became spotty, before glitching out every couple of seconds.

"What's going on?" He asks and Yarick quickly types on the control panel, furrowing his eyebrows.

"That's odd, it was working perfectly fine."

"The cameras aren't solar powered, are they?" Din asks and the two shake their heads. "Do you think someone started messing with it?"

"Maybe, probably to make sure the identity of the attacker is kept hidden." Din frowns, turning back as he sees Griselle walking up to the door. He wishes so badly he could go back and time and steer her away from it, but he knows he can't. The events of last night cannot be undone, and he hates it.

A couple of times, the feed cuts out to static, and then pops back up, and then continues to cut in and out. Din watches closely, furrowing his eyebrows before he points at the screen near the area leading up to Griselle's doorstep.

"Go back." Yarick rewinds it slightly, then presses pause and once he has a good pause, zooms in. It's a fragment, barely enough to even get the back of the attacker, but it's enough.

"He's massive." Yarick whispers. "No wonder Griselle suffered all that trauma." Din frowns deeply, leaning in closer.

"He's not Stewjoni, that's for sure. Unless there's a genetic mutation that makes you guys grow spikes out of your head." He points at the barely noticeable spike coming out from the head, and Yarick curses under his breath in an unknown language.

"An outsider is on our planet?" The scientist asks, almost in horror. "We must find him."

"I will get this alert out to every guard out there. Can you clean up this footage enough where you can at least see the skin color?"

"It will take some time but I will try."

"Thank you." The scientist nods, gives a respectful bow to Din and then leaves, talking to a few scientists who come up to him as they walk. Yarick runs his hand down his face.

"How did he get an outsider on planet without anybody knowing?" Din wonders out loud and Yarick shakes his head.

"I do not know, but we must find him before he attacks again. I do not think even you could find him."

"I fought a Devaronian awhile back." He says, almost in self defense, but even then he had a struggle against the dude.

"You may have succeeded at that one, but this is extremely dangerous. You see the condition he left Griselle. She's barely hanging on." Din frowns, looking down at his boots.

"How is Gloxia and Gladys?"

"As well as you would expect." He sighs. "They were at the hospital all night, but as soon as their temporary room is set up in the palace, they will be going there to rest."

"Griselle?"

"They placed her in a medically induced coma so her body can heal. They are taking her into surgery tomorrow to finish what they had started yesterday, so we shall see how that goes." Din clenches his fists, imagining the lovely choke he'll put on the asshole; number one for doing these atrocious acts toward an innocent family, and number two, calling him a consort.

"When I find that asshole I am going to throttle him so hard-" Din says without thinking, and Yarick starts laughing. Grogu coos curiously, padding over and touching Din's leg worriedly, looking up at him with big brown eyes.

"We're okay, little one." Yarick reassures. "Come, we should be getting back to the palace. I want to show you some of the rules and points of the city."

"Sounds good."

* * *

The next few days were interesting to say the least. They resumed their practice sessions, early in the morning before Yarick had to start his shift since he was in charge while Amalas was gone, and Din was pretty confident in the way he was starting to learn the forms. He studied them every night, and Yarick suggested warm up stretches he could do, adding to his normal stretch and workout routine, and they were helping surprisingly. He felt more light on his feet when they glided, and studying the diagrams and choreography was adding to the help greatly. He would practice the forms during the night when Grogu fell asleep for the night, using the alone time to try and practice.

Din wasn't really sure why he was so invested in trying to please not only Yarick, but Amalas, too. He was changing from this hard, rough around the edges bounty hunter Mandalorian to this man who broke the only thing he knew in his life, his Creed, to save his adopted son, and now he was courting a Jedi Queen who he was finding more and more about every day. Yarick told him stories of their youth and how much of a troublemaker Amalas actually was. He checked in with Reyna and Prisca every day to ask how they were doing, and when he heard that Gloxia and Gladys were in the palace, he checked in on them, too. Din realized that he liked the planet, the people, the atmosphere that they brought to it, and it seemed like the people liked him, too.

Amalas had been gone for five days and now there was a little over two weeks left until the Liberty Festival. Preparations were going as planned, but he did notice some of the tension a lot of the people had. He didn't blame them. With an attack like this after so many years of peace, and then suddenly a Mandalorian shows up with a small green child who can wield the Force like their queen, and like a week later this happens? He couldn't blame them for being on the edge, but they reassured him it wasn't his fault this happened. Grogu was never far from him, always either in the satchel around him or following him by a few paces. Din also took the initiative to help with the preparations, too. It gave him time to get to know more of the culture and the people, and he was really... He was actually really enjoying himself, despite the looming threat that he might be attacked, but when isn't he about to be attacked?

Din reaches out, touching the side of Grogu's cradle, blinking tiredly. His body was tired from the lessons and from helping all day, but his mind was awake. Amalas had been gone for five days, about to be six tomorrow, and to be honest, he was a little worried. He briefly thought about trying to reach out to her through their odd connection through the Force, but he wondered if the connection was strong enough yet to actually do that. They had only known each other for not even two weeks, so it was doubtful.

Din sighed, removing his hand from the cradle, tucking it under his chest to warm it up. Maybe if he forced his eyes shut his mind would realize he was trying to sleep. After sleeping with Amalas the other night in her bed with Grogu with them, it was a little disappointing to sleep in his bed.

 _His_ bed. Huh. That was new.

The door creaked open, and he froze, staring straight ahead and not moving a muscle. Shit. He just had his vibroblade on the table, but he could be dead by the time he reached for it. Maybe it was just a maidservant coming to collect the clothes or something. Maker, he hoped so. The dim lighting filled the room slightly, and he kept his breathing even and steady, hoping whoever it was would see he was "asleep" and go away. He squeezed his eyes shut, his hand slightly creeping out to reach for the blade just in case-

"Din?"

His eyes popped open and he turned around quickly, blinking away the brightness that blinded him briefly before perking up.

"Amalas? You're back?" He keeps his voice quiet to not disturb his kid, and she nods. Her hair is tied into a braid over her shoulder and she's wearing her blue robe with the gold embroidery. And boy, she looks exhausted.

"We got back late." She whispers, wrapping her arms around her middle. "I-I did not mean to wake you if I did-"

"No, you didn't." She forms a small O with her mouth before she looks down as she shuffles on her feet.

"Could I-" She cuts herself off, not meeting his eyes. Was she... Shy? Where was this coming from? "Can I sleep with you tonight? It is alright if you say no, I just-"

Din turns his body to the right side and pulls the covers up quickly, inviting her silently. The noticeable perk up on her face is adorable. Amalas quickly but quietly shuts the door and walks over, throwing her robe to the edge of the bed and then crawling in. She immediately cuddles up to him, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in between his pecs as he pulls the covers over them. He then wraps his arm around her, tugging her as close as he can and kissing the top of her forehead.

"You were gone for five days." He murmurs. She huffs indignantly into his sleep shirt, making him smirk.

"Yes, well," she says, her voice muffled from the fabric, "I had not seen my family in a couple of months, so I wanted to slightly catch up before the festival." He chuckles, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Grogu missed you."

"Mm, I missed him, too." She starts to relax against him, letting out a warm breath against him, and he buries his nose into her hair, inhaling the smell of her hair products. Her hair is actually still damp from the shower, so he wonders when they got back. She said late but he really wondered just how late that was, considering her hair was still damp from her shower. He trails his hand down from her back down her curves, settling it on her hip and rubbing it lightly. She lets out a soft sigh at the touches, and he realizes that she must be just as touch-starved as he was.

"I missed you, too." She murmurs, and her voice is sleepy. Before he can respond, she's asleep, wrapped around him like some sort of sticky wrap, except she's not sticky. She's soft and she feels small when she's cuddled up like this to him, but it makes him just hug her even closer, as if she was going to disappear into thin air. Well, she appeared in thin air, so he wouldn't be surprised if she did that, too.

Din adjusts just slightly, before he shuts his eyes and drifts off into a very deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Amalas was still cuddled up to him the next morning, her back pressing against his chest, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at that, wrapping his arm around her waist tighter and pulling her closer. She lets out a sigh of content at that, shifting against him.

"G'morning..." She murmurs sleepily.

"Morning." He replies, pressing his face into her shoulder. "How'd you sleep...?"

"Mmm, really good." She replies, pulling the covers up to her face and burying her face in them. "Best part about this is I smell like you." He lets out a quiet laugh, before he feels little grabby hands on his back, slightly turning to see Grogu pouting behind him, clearly offended they were cuddling without him. He lifts the arm around her waist out of the covers, sliding it under his bottom and hoisting him over his waist, where the kid crawls over him and over Amalas to cuddle up to her chest.

"Traitor." He huffs.

"It's because I'm softer." She teases as Grogu cuddles up right in between her breasts, cooing softly, as if agreeing with her. Din actually wished that was him.

"Hm." He replies, but doesn't tease back. Instead he wraps his arms around her, laying his hand on Grogu's back and burying his face into her hair as she resettles with him. They lay like that, the golden light from the suns starting to filter into the room from the balcony windows, and Maker, could it get anymore perfect?

He could get used to this-

"Your Majesty?"

A knock makes the moment pop, and Amalas sits up quickly at the sound of Yarick's amused voice. Din looks at her with wide eyes and she covers her mouth to hide her laugh. Why was she laughing?! How did Yarick know she would be here?!

"Your Majesty, I know you're in there." Yarick says, his tone a mix of amusement and exasperation. Amalas picks up one of the pillows before handing Grogu over, then stuffing it against Din's face, making him let out a muffled laugh in amusement, actually quite happy she thought about his whole helmet thing first and foremost. She crawls out of bed as he lays back down, Grogu sitting on his chest whining at the loss of cuddles. Din plops the pillow on his face and a second later he hears the door open slightly.

"Um, I think you have the wrong room, Captain." She says, and Yarick sighs, rolling his eyes. Amalas grins at him.

"Well, at least you don't have love bites today." Amalas sputters and Din lets out a surprised cough that's thankfully muffled. "We need to get you ready for the debriefing this morning. There's... A lot to go over. You too, Mando."

"Okay!" He replies as loud as he can with the fabric over his face.

"Fine, fine. I will be upstairs in a moment." Yarick huffs, giving her a look of uncertainty before leaving. She makes a face at his back before shutting the door quietly, turning back to the bed as Din removes the pillow from his head.

Maker, he's so handsome in the morning; fluffy, bed-head curls, the tired wrinkles around his eyes as he smiles at her, the sweet little sparkle in his eye when he looks at her. The suns morning rays made his skin glow, and he's never looked so ethereal. She smiles fondly, looking at the little green baby on top of his chest, who coos up at her and reaches up. She pads over, picking him up before crawling onto the bed and leaning down to give him a soft kiss. He hums softly, but doesn't respond, making her huff and pull away.

"What?" She asks, leaning away in offense. He points at his mouth and she rolls her eyes. "Oh. Go brush your teeth, then." He quickly gets out of the bed, adjusting the sleep shirt and pants that make his body look so lovely-

"Stop staring at my ass."

"No." Once he disappears into the bathroom and she hears the faucet turn on, she reaches over to the bedside table on the right, pulling out the drawer and finding a mint (she applauds her past self for that idea) and pops it in her mouth. Grogu looks at her curiously, then nuzzles into her chest, making her stroke his long ears gently. About a minute later, Din comes back out, yawning a bit and scratching his stomach, her eyes trailing down to the toned skin that's exposed. She licks her lips without thinking.

"I swear, if we had time..." She sighs. "Seven days is a very long time."

"Oh, what, you don't think of me at night?" Din teases, crawling onto the bed on his hands and knees and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips, hovering over them as she smirks.

"Every night, _cyare_." She murmurs and he lets out a shaky breath at that, pressing another but longer kiss to her which she eagerly responds to, humming lightly at the feel of his lips against hers. She'll never get tired of his kisses. They pull away and she lets out a sad sigh.

"I suppose I must go to get ready for the meetings today."

"Shame."

"What do you mean, _shame_? You are going to be there, too." She sets Grogu down on the pillows and gets up, fixing her braid and looking over her shoulder at Din, who has his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why do I have to be there?"

"Because you are part of this situation as well, not to mention involved in the investigation. Now, get ready and meet at the Council room in about an hour and a half." He pouts lightly, sitting back on his heels and looking at her with-

"Oh, do _not_ give me a pouty face-"

"One more kiss before you go? Please?" She turns around, Din staring at her with pleading eyes.

"You are needy when you are out of the armor."

"Only in front of you."

"Hm, I suppose you are right." She walks back over and leans in, gently brushing his lips before reaching and running her fingers through his messy curls, making him suck in a breath sharply and she smirks to herself, then presses a long yet passionate kiss to his lips, slightly tugging on his hair when he gets a little too excited. Then she pulls away, releasing his hair from her hands and places a light kiss to his forehead, gently patting Grogu's head, and leaves.

Din sits back on his heels, letting out a pouty sigh. Grogu mimics it, both boys staring at the door sadly.

"We're both really in the deep end, aren't we?"

"Patu."

* * *

The next few days are full of catching Amalas up with the investigation, her checking in on Gloxia and her parents, and she was in meetings for most evenings after everything wrapped up. Although, she was sneaking off more and more to sleep with him in his bed, and he was loving it. No sex or touching, just sweet, comforting cuddles while they talked about their days. Yarick was continuing their lessons early in the morning, and Din was getting better and better every day. Despite the looming threat with stupid Rowan and the unknown attacker, their lives right now felt... Domestic in a way. They were getting closer and closer every day, sharing meals at the same times, trading times with Grogu, and just being able to exchange their stories of their years. Amalas was getting more and more open with telling stories of her times on the battlefield during the Clone Wars, and he was starting to open up more about his years as a bounty hunter.

Din was falling more and more for her every day.

Not that he was about to admit it yet, because he wasn't sure if she felt the same or not, but... With the rate they were going, maybe she was feeling the same. One can dream, right?

Amalas had told him one night, about four days after she got home that she wouldn't be able to sleep with him that evening, and to say the least, he may have pouted a bit. He knew why, though. He'd gotten so used to her body against his, her breathing, the soothing way her hand rubbed his chest when his breathing became to short when he was starting to have a bad dream, as if she could sense when it was happening. Plus, Grogu had grown used to having her there, too, immediately going to her when he woke up, crawling onto the bed from his cradle into her arms. It was the cutest thing to have Amalas and Grogu sleeping with him, and he never felt more safe when they were there with him. But he said a gruff okay, glad that she couldn't see his face, and after dinner, he went up to the library and found a couple of books to read before he went to sleep.

That's what he was doing right now, dressed in his sleep wear with Grogu on a pillow that sat against his crossed legs under the covers while he read. Grogu refused to sleep in his cradle, so Din settled for this position and Grogu was happy as hell to fall asleep like so. One hand rubbed his belly as he slept, noticing the slight discomfort he had after dinner, so he hoped that rubbing it would help settle his stomach at least a little bit, while the other hand held the book, only briefly lifting his hand to turn the page.

He enjoyed reading; the books being something that he cherished even before arriving on Stewjon. One bounty he had to make a stop on a small moon for supplies and fuel, and while walking through the village, he came across a small library with a few books, and he spent a little bit of time reading before he headed back. He knew he wouldn't be teased by anyone considering he was a Mandalorian, so he was grateful he was able to get a few minutes to himself before going on to find the bounty he had.

Din lets out a soft sigh, closing the book, chuckling at the cliché ending but it was also lighthearted, something he needed right now. The worry and concern was always present in the back of his head throughout the day, so reading something like this was nice, something to get his mind off of things. He leans up from the pillows, setting the read book in the pile, and debated whether or not to read the next one. It wasn't terribly late, and Amalas wasn't going to sleep with him tonight anyway, so...

 _Screw it._ He picks up the book, and is surprised at how... light he finds it to be. He furrows his eyebrows, looking at the thickness of the book curiously. The thicker the book, the heavier it was, but not this one.

"The hell?" Din mutters to himself, lifting it to his eyesight, and startles when he hears metal clinking around inside. Okay, he remembers that trick: hiding valuables inside hollowed out books and making them look normal in case of an emergency. He shakes it slightly, hearing the same clinking, and sets it down, opening the front cover and furrowing his eyebrows. What were holo pucks doing inside a hollowed out book? He picks up one, eyeing it carefully, before noticing a date scrawled in the front of it. Huh. This was dated shortly before the Republic fell... Were these Amalas's?

He bit his lip. Should he try them? See what they tell him? They might just be logs of her time during the Clone Wars and reports and whatnot, but... He dumps the rest of the pucks out, sorting them all from the first date to the last night, all spanning over the course of two and a half years before they stop. She... She wouldn't mind, would she? After all, she had been opening up to him about things, but he still had yet to tell her about the Force dream he had. He supposed he was waiting until after all the stress she was experiencing, but...

_If I feel bad about it tomorrow, I'll tell her._

He gives himself an affirming nod, and picks up the first puck, sitting it in front of him and gently adjusting Grogu before turning it on. A small image of a very young, eighteen-year-old Amalas pops up, the image flickering slightly. His heart hurts; she looks so tired for her age. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail with two braids leading into it, soft curly bangs flowing down the sides of her cheeks. She's dressed in an older version of her black robes, and Maker, she looks so exhausted with the rings under her eyes and the sad, devastated look in her eye.

Amalas opens the report with the date and time before crossing her arms over herself, as if she was cold. Din wanted to wrap her up in a big hug. "The Republic received reports of Separatist activity on Sorgus, a small moon in the Outer Rim where both Republic and Separatist forces have been lingering. My battalion and I were the closest, so they sent us. We arrived on planet and found a small village that seems-" she cuts herself off, looking ready to cry. " _Seemed_ to be the only civilization. When we arrived, we found... We found a slaughter of the people that must have inhabited the planet."

Why did that name sound so familiar?

Amalas inhales, pausing briefly to collect her thoughts. "We found multiple bodies of not only humans, but scraps of droids and machines, looking as if they received heavy blaster fire, but not from the villagers." She blinks rapidly, and Din's heart aches from the combination of her state and the information she was reporting.

_Wait._

"Captain Piper was able to find some security footage that recorded the attack." She reaches forward, and her image disappears before a piece of footage pops up that looks extremely and horrifyingly familiar. The large, silver battle droids made their way through the village, shooting any villager clad in familiar pieces of robe, the images occasionally shifting to different parts of the village, before blaster fire from above catches the droids off guard.

His heart stops beating.

Mandalorian warriors descend onto the village, shooting the droids and sending their jetpack rockets into the air, explosions appearing in the distance when they had hit their target, and he lets out a choked breath of air. The footage ends and it reverts back to Amalas, who looks on the verge of a breakdown.

"I am not sure why Death Watch was there, but a few images show that a few children were taken, I'm sure as foundlings. I... I would like to open an investigation into this, to find out what the Death Watch is planning." And the holo cuts off, leaving him in the darkness with the images of... Of...

_Of his village._

_She was there._

_She._

_Was._

_There._

Din can't help himself; he fumbles for the next one, and the next one. The Republic, before its fall, allowed the investigation, and it seemed that she was finding out more and more about the Watch as time went on. After the Republic fell, he was startled to see her hair cut short, chin length and wavy and the image from his dream of her slicing off her hair comes to his brain. He wondered if that was their way of showing grief, but he did notice as time went on, she looked healthier as she investigated the Death Watch, the same Watch that took him in and raised him in their way. The final one was apparently three years before her coronation, so in the final one she had just turned twenty or twenty-one. The final one ended with her essentially saying that the Death Watch had become extremely scarce, and it was getting harder to hide from the Empire. It ended with her looking extremely sad, before the holo cut out, plunging him into darkness and with the same sentence repeating in his head.

_She was there._

* * *

"I do believe..." Amalas sighs, breaking off slightly before continuing, looking at the schedule in her hand. "I think it would be best to push the Liberty Festival to the day of the summer equinox. With how the investigation is going, it would not be wise to hold such a large event with this threat looming." She sees Yarick shift in surprise out of the corner of her eye, but he doesn't say anything. The Council members nod slowly, exchanging glances with each other.

"Do you think the people would be upset?" Osca asks.

"Oh, I think they would be more than understanding. Plus, it would give everyone more time to prepare for the festival, anyway." Estreya says, leaning back in her seat slightly. Amalas always loved how she had her back but would tell her straight and blunt facts when needed. "With two of our people and a guest being threatened, it would be terrible if something disrupted this year's celebration. It does mark the five-hundredth year after all! And if we did push it to the summer equinox, it just means it's a longer day of celebrating."

"Oh, Maker, do not get drunk again this year." Ursa laughs from the other side, and Estreya huffs.

"I was _tipsy,_ mind you."

"Oh, that is what you are calling it, huh?"

"Yes."

"Great defense."

Amalas chuckles, drawing everyone's attention back to her. She shifts in the throne, nodding slightly. "So, we are all in-"

The doors opposite of the throne opened unceremoniously, causing everyone to collectively jump. The guards got defensive before relaxing slightly as the shiny beskar registered in her brain. Before she can speak, though, Din points at her, and she startles back at the wave of absolute despair and fury that's rolling off of him.

"You were there." He grits out, the modulator making it sound harsher. Amalas blinks, stunned at the sentence. She was a lot of places, so that was vague-

"What-"

He tosses a puck into the middle of the floor, where a holo pops up, frozen on the image of Mandalorians in a village-

"You were there!" He says, his voice echoing off the chamber walls. He didn't necessarily shout it, but he said it loud enough to cause a spike of shock in the Force from everyone. She notices Grogu hiding behind one of the vases, looking upset at Din's sudden burst of anger, and Amalas doesn't blame the child. Where was this coming from?

"What are you talking about-" She stands, the holo playing at the movement, and she freezes. She watches as her younger self appears after the footage, and her stomach drops low.

 _"I am not sure why the Death Watch was there, but a few images show that a few children were taken, I'm sure as foundlings. I... I would like to open an investigation into this, to find out what the Death Watch is planning."_ The holo ends, flickering off, and with a horrible, _horrible_ realization, she knows what he's talking about.

She may not be able to see his eyes, but she sure as hell can feel the glare she's receiving.

"You were there." He repeats again, the tone still harsh but also quiet.

"Din-"

"You could have saved them."

She flinches back, as if she was hit, and with a final masked glare, the Mandalorian she was falling in love with walked out the doors.


	16. "Save him."

_The searing pain in her abdomen is what woke her up out of the darkness._

_Amalas shot up in the bed, a damp cloth that had been on her forehead falling off and into her lap, and her left hand shot to the lower right side of her stomach, a pained gasp escaping her throat. Her left wrist was killing her and her right shoulder felt like it was going pop out of socket again._

_"Careful! You'll reopen the stitches if you do that!" Her fight or flight response activated at the new voice, and she turned around on the cot, pressing her back against the wall as she thrust out her hand in a defensive action, eyes wide. The woman stops in the doorway, holding her hands up to show she wasn't armed. Instead of a knife or blaster, she held a silver bowl in one hand and what looked like a med pack in the other. Her brown hair fell down her shoulder in a low braid, a red hood slightly pulled onto her head. Her skin was lightly tanned, and her kind brown eyes made the voice in the back of her head tell her that she was no threat._

_"Where am I?" She asks, voice hoarse and tired, her accent muddled by the exhaustion._

_"You're on Sorgus." The woman says slowly, keeping still in the doorway. "A few of the villagers saw your ship crash and brought you back. You were injured." Amalas hesitated as she tried to recall how she got injured in the first place, before looking down at her side to see blood rapidly staining the bandages. All thoughts of how she got injured vanish and are replaced by the current injuries, stumbling back into the bed as she holds her side._

_"Oh." She murmurs, not sure if it's a response to the woman or about the reopened wound._

_"May I help you?"_

_"Y-Yes. Sorry." She lowers her legs back down over the edge of the bed, the pain finally processing in her body and brain. The woman walks over, placing the silver bowl on the table by the bed._ _"Turn around for me, dear." Amalas obeys, slowly turning around. The cot dips slightly before she hears the med pack being opened, and then there's a brief touch of cool metal on her back, sliding in between her skin and the bandages to cut them. Amalas folds her arms over her chest, holding onto her shoulders with her hands to give the woman room to work. The bandages fall away and are placed in the bowl, before the woman gently turns her to look at the wound._

_"My name is Adalia." The woman says softly. "I am one of the medics of the village. What is your name?"_

_"A-Amalas-ow!" She hisses as she presses a piece of cloth that burns against her skin and the slice, her breath hitching. Antiseptic, she confirms when the smell hits her nose and she can't help but wrinkle it. She smelled it too often on the cruiser after a battle._

_"That is a pretty name." Adalia comments, and Amalas figures she must be trying to get her mind off the injury. "Your accent isn't something I hear often. Are you from the Inner Rim?"_

_"No, actually." She grits out through her clenched teeth. "Around the Outer Rim."_

_"Really? I just figured considering you are a Jedi..." She trails off as she focuses and Amalas squeezes her eyes shut, no response coming out. Adalia continues talking, and to be honest, Amalas doesn't mind. "We are a neutral village. We do not want any trouble."_

_"I apologize for crashing." She manages out, her breath hitching as she feels the cloth gently press against her injury, Adalia moving behind her. "I-It was purely accidental."_

_"Were you in a battle?"_

_"Yes." Amalas says shortly, before stiffening when the cloth moves away, the sudden release of pressure making her dizzy for a brief moment, the cloth being replaced by small suture cutters, and she can hear the thread being snipped, the pressure on her wound releasing slightly. Gauze replaces the antiseptic cloth, and Adalia lets her breathe for a minute before she continues._

_"How did you get these wounds?"_

_"W-Wounds?"_

_"You have one here, and then this one on your back." She feels a light tap in the middle of her back. "It doesn't look bad, so I'll leave that alone."_

_"Oh, I guess..." She inhales sharply, blinking away the blurriness that came to her vision as a new flash of pain went through her. "Was it from the crash?"_

_"I mean, considering I pulled out a piece of shrapnel the size of a small fish, I believe so." Amalas lets out a shuddered laugh, relaxing slightly at the joke. "We moved your ship into one of our hangars. It didn't look too bad, so you may be able to limp back to wherever you came from."_

_"Thank you." Amalas sighs out, slowly relaxing. "Go ahead and continue."_ _It was definitely painful; no medications, no anesthetic, nothing. She called on the Force to try to ease the pain a little bit, which thankfully worked, and Adalia was able to finish closing the cut with new sutures, then wrapped her mid section to hold the stitches in place with white bandages. Then she checks Amalas for any signs of concussion, checks her other injuries, which was a sprained wrist and a dislocated shoulder, but other than that, she was okay._

_"You hungry?" Adalia asks as she picks up after herself. Amalas slowly adjusts so her feet are dangling off the bed, nodding slowly as she grimaces in pain. She's shirtless, wearing nothing but her chest wrap, and while her people don't care about being nude or bare in front of people, she was sure Adalia's people were much different considering the fact her robes were from top to bottom. Cultural thing, perhaps? Like Luminara and Bariss maybe._

_"Where are my clothes?" Amalas asks, looking down at the red leggings she currently wore._

_"They were bloody and torn," Adalia says, wiping her hands on a cloth before walking over to a nearby chest, opening the lid. "I had to throw them."_

_"Oh." Made sense. She watches as she digs through the chest before pulling out a matching red shirt that looks like it wraps._ _"We need to reset your shoulder, but I'm waiting for my husband to get back so we can. In the meantime, keep that arm from moving."_

_"Don't have to tell me twice." Amalas breathes out, trying to keep it as still as possible. Adalia chuckles, finding a darker colored belt and draping it over her arm. Then she pulls out a small box and walks over to her._

_"I made sure you keep your..." She pauses as she sets the box down next to her, raising her eyebrow. "What are they called?"_

_"Lightsabers." Amalas chuckles, slightly relaxing._

_"Ah, well, I made sure to keep your lightsabers safe."_

_"Thank you, I appreciate your hospitality." Adalia nods, giving her a wary look._

_"You better not bring your trouble here." Then she gestures for her to stand. "Come, let's get a shirt on you. I do have to say, your markings are beautiful."_

_"Thank you. I just got them."_

_"Is that apart of your species?"_

_"Yes. When we turn eighteen, we get our markings." She explains, grunting briefly as she stands. Adalia gently pulls the shirt apart, sliding her good arm through one hole, bringing it around and then sliding her bad arm through the second, making her grimace and let out a rough gasp in pain. Oh, her vision blurs with the movement, and they pause briefly before resuming._

_"Sorry." Adalia says softly, before bringing it back around to overlap the front. She grabs the belt next, holding the shirt in place while she wraps the belt around her waist, gently turning her around so she's facing the wall, and gently tightens it to a comfortable wrap._

_"The belt should help the bandages keep in place."_

_"Okay." She breathes out shakily, a bit dizzy from the moving, and she's about to thank her when she feels a small presence nearby, and swings around, reflexively pushing Adalia behind her, catching a flash of red that disappeared around the corner of the door._

_"Oh, it's okay." Adalia says, gently moving her arm down from in front of her chest. "It's just my son."_

_"Your son?" She asks, moving her arm back to her middle and Adalia nods._

_"Awéé_ ʼ _, it's okay." A little boy, probably no older than eight or so, peeks out from behind the wall, blinking at her curiously. He wears a similar outfit to Adalia, with the red clothing and hood on his head and he looks like a mini version of her with the brown hair and brown eyes but his skin is a bit darker than hers. Adalia gently moves to the doorway, gently motioning him in. He shuffles in shyly, standing in front of his mother as her hands come down on his shoulders. Amalas slightly sits down on the edge of the cot, her eyes never leaving the child._

_"Baby, this is Amalas. She is our guest for a time until she heals." He glances up at his mother before back at Amalas, giving a tiny wave that makes her heart warm._

_"H-Hi. You're p-pretty."_

"-Your Majesty?"

Amalas lifts her head at the sound of Yarick's voice, who looks at her worriedly. She blinks slightly, looking down at Grogu, who was sleeping on her stomach, clenching the metal ball that Din had given him after their rescue. She wasn't sure what the importance of it was, but if it comforted him while he was distressed, she wasn't about to take it away from him. She remembered she had a ball sort of similar, except it was squishy instead of metal. She really needed to talk to Din about his toy choices.

"I... Did I zone out?"

"Yes." She grimaces.

"I am sorry, Yarick. What were you saying?" She asks, and he lowers his data screen, crossing his arms over his chest. His helmet was off, sitting on the table in front of the couch in the library, and he looks at her sternly. Ah, crap, she knows that look.

"What's wrong, Amalas?" He asks, his voice stern yet also gentle. Leave it to Yarick to see right through her. Not that she should be surprised considering the fact they've been best friends for years, but still.

"Amalas, I know when something is bothering you." He glances at the pucks strewn out on the table. "What did he mean by you were there?"

After Din left, Amalas immediately dismissed everyone, scooping Grogu into her arms after he ran to her, and they investigated Din's room to find out what he had found. They found the book that she had put them in, and now they were waiting on Griselle's assistant to finish pulling together the logs. The thing about the pucks was she had put them in the restricted section, and only members of the Royal family, the Council and the Keeper and Keeper's assistant could access that part. So it led them to try to find out who placed the book in the regular section.

"I knew him when he was a boy." Amalas says finally, staring at the puck he had tossed. The fury and despair that he had been projecting into the Force was horrible, her mindset immediately going to everything she did wrong in her life once he left. Grogu was distraught, telling her about how all morning Din was super quiet, wouldn't talk to him or anything, and he was worried that his father was going to do something brash.

"Pardon?"

"Before my investigation into Death Watch, I was in a fight and ended up crashing onto Sorgus. The villagers took me in and helped me heal until I could leave again." She goes quiet, remembering the kind medic couple and their little boy who she nicknamed Jar Jar because he couldn't stop stuttering when he was talking to her. It wasn't a speech impediment, he was just shy. Plus, they never got visitors, and she never learned the boy's real name.

But now, looking back...

"I led the Separatists to that planet." She says quietly, looking down at Grogu asleep against her. Yarick reaches over, laying a warm and comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You didn't lead them to that planet, Amalas. You couldn't have." She shakes her head. She knows for a fact that she led the Separatists there. She knows it. Why else would they have attacked a peaceful planet that was pretty much uncharted? Well, it was the Separatists, they'd attack a tree if it blew wrong at them.

"But I did! I was in a fight with them, and I escaped. They must have tracked me-" Grogu whimpers in his sleep, stirring slightly as he senses her distress, and she shuts up quickly, rubbing soothing circles into his back, which immediately relaxes him, and he settles back against her, returning to his sleep. Once he's asleep, she gently picks him up and lays him against a pillow, standing up and walking out onto the balcony, laying her hands on the railing and shutting her eyes. The air was cool and fresh, and...

_And smelled of moisture._

Amalas ignores the nagging feeling in the back of her head at the smell of moisture, sighing instead. "When he said I was there, he meant when we arrived on Sorgus after the attack. I do not think he remembered me before the attack. If I had stayed..."

Yarick doesn't reply, which she's grateful and a little uncertain about, because he usually tries to give her a speech about how it wasn't her fault, but maybe this time he was speechless.

So, instead of advice, she feels his weight against her back, his strong, giant arms wrapping around her in a comforting hug. How long had it been since she got one of Yarick's hugs? Because damn, she realized how much she missed them, if her leaning into his body shows for anything. "I see." He murmurs, and his presence brings her back to the present.

"H-How long has he been gone?"

"About an hour, I believe. A couple of guards saw him heading into the forest to the west." He gently pulls away from her, his hand leaving a lingering touch on her shoulder before he leans against the railing, crossing his arms over each other on the metal. "Amalas, there's something that he needs to tell you." She raises her eyebrow at him questioningly. What on Stewjon would Din tell Yarick and not her? One part of her was happy they were becoming friends, and the other was worried about what the hell Din was holding back from her, but was willing to tell Yarick.

"What?"

"Apparently, he had-"

"Your Majesty!" Yarick cuts off at the sound of Brand's call, both of them turning around as he rushes in with two guards trailing behind him. There's an urgency in the air surrounding them, and her heart drops, dread filling her mind. _Please don't be what I think it is._

"Sargent? What's going on?" Yarick asks immediately before she can.

"There's a storm coming from the south." Amalas and Yarick stiffen simultaneously, looking at each other before Amalas steps forward, looking at Brand, a plan immediately starting to circulate. If Din got caught in the storm without knowing how severe Stewjon's weather is, he wouldn't be able to make it back before something bad happened. And she didn't want that; she couldn't have that, not with the situation right now.

"How long until it gets here?" She asks, keeping her voice even, and attempting to keep the worry out of her face. It works because Brand doesn't comment on it, shaking his head with worry.

"Less than an hour, at least."

"Shit." She mumbles, Yarick taking her arm worriedly. She looks up at him, and he gives her a knowing look, as if reading her mind. Well, she wouldn't be surprised. Yarick knew her better than anyone, same with Gloxia. That's why she made Yarick and Gloxia her captain and lieutenant so easily in the first place, because she knows with proof that they were her best friends and would do anything for her, and she would do anything for them in return.

"If he gets caught in the storm in the forest-"

"I know, I know." She chews her lip, staring at the table as she thinks about it, clenching her fists at her sides. On one hand, they had a search party ready. She had given the guards orders that if Din wasn't back in three hours, they should search the forests and city. But with the storm coming in...

"Should we send out the search party?" Brand asks curiously, cutting off her thoughts, and she quickly shakes her head.

"No, I will go look for him." Okay, that was said without thinking. What was she thinking? Nothing, apparently. Yarick raises his eyebrow worriedly, and Amalas turns to him sternly. "Captain, you and Sargent Brand engage storm protocols. Ensure the safety of the people first and foremost, make sure they have food, water and blankets in case this storm drags out longer than anticipated."

"And, what, let you go find him by yourself?"

"Yes." Yarick gives her a blank look in response to that and Amalas stares right back. Yarick knew she'd be able to handle herself but it didn't stop him from worrying about her. "I will be fine. I need you here more, watching over our people. Mando is my responsibility. Please, Yarick, trust me." Yarick grits his teeth, his fists clenching at his sides. She understood why he was pensive about letting her go; the last time she disappeared during a storm like this she changed the weather of the whole planet and then fell into a coma for a few days. So, yeah, she understood why he was worried.

Once she found Din, she was going to wring his neck.

Finally, Yarick nods, picking up his helmet and sliding it on before turning back to her. "Yes, Your Majesty." She nods, thankful, before she walks over to Grogu, gently picking him up. He adjusts against her chest, slowly waking up but still is too sleepy to really question what's going on. She hoped he would be okay while she was gone, but she trusted Yarick, and she knew he would take care of the child while she went to find the Mandalorian.

"Will you watch him for me?" She asks, gently handing him over. Yarick nods, looking down at the green baby curiously. "Keep him by your side at all times, please."

"I will."

With that, they went their separate ways, both desperate for the situation at hand.

* * *

The one thing that sucked about Stewjon was its weather. Sure, near perfect conditions all the time, but when they did get weather, it was usually extreme weather, and often caused problems afterwards. Springtime and summer were usually the most detrimental with winds and storms with heavy rainfall that caused trees to literally snap in half. The fall wasn't terrible, but the temperatures would drop low in the night, and usually the winds were bad, especially in the mountain areas. Canyon winds were not fun to wake up to in the middle of the night. And during the winter time? Snow piled up to their knees. However, with the run off on the mountains into the oceans and rivers, the soil was usually fertile enough by planting season, so that was one perk of the snow. Save for freezing their butts off, but at least it wasn't Hoth where it was frozen all year long.

The storm came much faster than what they had thought. By the time she was barely one klick into the forest, the rain started. At least she had her good robe on, but still. She didn't mind the rain, welcomed it in fact, but it was still hard to do anything with the downpour. As a child, she would sit in the library for hours, reading or meditating while listening to the rain hit the windows or the grounds, the smell absolutely divine. And then there was that one incident after Ilum, but who was keeping track?

Amalas wipes her eyes, squinting through the darkness, pausing to scan her surroundings. The temple was in the west forest, she knew that, so maybe Din had found shelter there when it started raining. Oh, Force, she hoped so. He'd blocked her from their bond that was just beginning to get stronger with how much time they'd been spending together, and now this. She scowls to herself. Whoever was behind this was going to get their neck broken. What was their goal? Why were they doing this? What was the point of hurting Griselle and spreading panic across a peaceful planet? The only name that came to mind made her queasy and furious.

_Rowan._

Amalas sighs to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. There was no use dwelling on it right now. She had to find Din. The rain was becoming heavier the longer she was out here, and the thunder rumbling in the sky gave an indicator she should hurry up. Amalas inhaled, shutting her eyes and centering herself, focusing on the life around her. The rain became quiet, a distant noise in her ears as she reached out into the Force, asking for its guidance, asking for it to help her find Din. The wild life had sought shelter quickly, so she could identify their life forms in the burrows and caves, the trees whistled, the flowers and grass and moss were enjoying the heavy rain. She reached out further, extending the radius of the area and then finally-

Her eyes popped open and she bolted in the direction of the larger life form, a human life form and not an animal one, hopping over fallen branches and trunks, stepping over roots, and thankfully, her boots offered a good grip so she wasn't about to go face first into the mud. One time during the war, she had done that right in front of everyone in her battalion, and they never let her live it down. Even her father teased her about it.

She came out into a clearing, a round area with grass and tall trees looming overhead, the rain battering down like there was no tomorrow. She wipes away the water from her face, scanning the area carefully, before they land on the Mandalorian, and her heart stops.

He's sagged against a tree, the rain beating down on the silver armor and soaking his underclothes. She bolts over to him, the darkness clouding any sight so she has to use the Force to give her sight. She slides her fingers under his helmet, having to dig under the cowl to do so, and relief floods her when she finds a pulse. It's weak and unstable yet fast,

"Din!" She shakes his shoulder lightly, getting a quiet, weak groan in response. "Come on, stand up." She slides her hand under his armpit and makes a motion to stand, tugging him up when he cries out, the modulator making it hoarse and short. She freezes, removing her arm from its position and Din slumps back against the trunk of the tree. She furrows her eyebrows, pulling out her flashlight and clicking it on, moving it over his body. Her heart drops at the sight. His right leg is twisted slightly, and not exactly in a good way. Now with the light, she can see that parts of his clothing have been torn in different spots, gash wounds in place of the tears. They were steadily leaking blood, and as she moved from his legs up, she could see his left arm and wrist twisted oddly, the vambrace loose on his forearm.

"Din, what happened to you?" She asks before putting the flashlight in between her teeth to start trying to find the most severe wounds. He sucks in sharply when she touches his ribs and arms, and her heart aches. Oh, no, please don't be what she thinks it is...

"Tripped..." He mumbled tiredly, the response barely being picked up by his helmet. She furrows her eyebrows. Tripped? On what? Well, it was dark, and if he had gotten lost... It made some sense, but as she continued to look him over, his wounds did not line up very well with trip wounds. She knew what trip wounds looked like, she took care of her nieces and nephews enough to know what they looked like. These... These looked like he was attacked. The sense of dread she already had just seemed to heighten more and more as theories started flooding her head.

_I'm such an idiot._

"Come on, Din, we need to find shelter. Stand, come on." He moans, but his body doesn't move. _Shit._ "Din, come on, please." No response makes her panic slightly. If he had any internal damage, whether it be a head injury or internal bleeding, it wouldn't be long before he went into shock from his injuries. She needed to find shelter immediately. It was too dangerous and risky to go back to the palace, not with his condition, so she would need to stabilize him enough for that kind of transportation. But there weren't any kind of buildings or unoccupied caves around here-

 _The Temple._ The Force seems to whisper in her ear, guiding her to to the north, and she nods to herself in confirmation. She kneels in between his legs, pulling out the flashlight from her mouth and putting it back in her pocket, before gently wrapping what she hoped was his good arm around her neck, then bent and picked him up by the knees. The bag slid to her front and she heaved him onto her back. His chest plate dug into her back, but right now, all she cared about was getting him out of the rain and to check over his wounds to at least get a primitive report about him before she even attempts to get him back to the palace.

Amalas hears Din groan as he settles heavily against her back, his breath hitching in pain. She bites her lip, resisting reaching out to him through the Force. She wouldn't break his already thin trust anymore.

Instead, she hones in to find the Temple, keeping her focus intently on the Force as it practically lights up her way, and sets off in the direction, hoping that he wouldn't die before she reached it.

* * *

 _Thankfully,_ she was able to reach the temple in a few minutes. It was still in good shape after thirty plus years, thanks to her desperately asking for them to continue the upkeep of the Temple after restoring it. And thank the Force, it wasn't leaking water!

Amalas gently props Din up against the wall in the main hall of the temple, furthest from the door. He slouches like a sack of flour, his breathing uneven and short. She kneels, pulling the bag over her head and setting it on the ground, opening the top and pulling out the two lanterns, turning them on high and setting them on each side of Din, the room lighting up brightly. She scoots the bag aside slightly before moving forward, and slowly, she pulls his helmet off, bracing herself for the worst.

Just as she thought, he was injured from his head down to his toes probably. The helmet kept the injuries on his head from washing away, and she picked up his chin to move his head side to side. Several cuts on his face, a swollen eye, a bruised cheek... She slid her hand behind his head, wincing when she felt the warm stickiness of blood on the back of his head. She slowly checks the rest of his body, lifting his cuirass to check his chest. When it lifted easily, she realized it wasn't on correctly. That was definitely not like Din. She slid a little bit more towards his ribcage area, pausing when his breath hitched in pain again, his body stiffening in reaction. When she pulled her hand away, it was coated in blood. If he had injuries like this under his helmet, then...

_Fuck._

Amalas grabs the bag, rifling through it to find the medical scanner when there's a warmth that floods the Temple. She revels in it slightly, recognizing it immediately, before returning her attention to the man in front of her.

"Well, now, who is this young man?"

Amalas sighs, turning her head to look over her shoulder, frowning deeply behind her. "Please, not now, Father."

Obi-Wan, finally having figured out he can look whatever he wants to while dead, crosses his arms over his chest, staring at her blankly. He looks young again, not the old man she had remembered seeing a couple of years ago after he appeared to her after dying on the Death Star. He looks like when she had seen him, right before Order 66, before their lives changed completely. She eyes him carefully before turning back to rooting through the bag, finding the scanner finally and clicking it on.

"I see you have finally figured out the whole Force ghost thing." He chuckles lightly from behind her, moving over slightly to watch what she's doing, staring at her for a minute before looking back at Din, raising his eyebrow slightly as he studies him.

"I see the liking for Mandalorians runs in our family." Amalas sputters, throwing a glare at him before cupping Din's chin, tilting his head towards her and sliding the red light from the top of his head and down, ignoring the comment. "What's his name?"

"Din." She replies shortly, setting the scanner down. She starts gently unclipping his chest piece and pauldrons to get a better scan, setting them to the side carefully as she grimaces as more and more injuries start showing. "I found him when I answered a youngling's call. He's the adopted father."

"A youngling?"

"Yes, a youngling from the Temple. Looks like Anakin missed one."

"Hey! That's mean!" She looks over her left shoulder this time, smirking as Anakin pouts in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest. "You know I feel bad."

"Sure." She replies easily, turning back and gently setting the beskar chest plate down on the ground. "Now, can you two be quiet? I cannot do this without you two yapping over my shoulder."

"So, is he your husband? Or soon to be at least?" Obi-Wan asks, flat out ignoring her request and leaning forward to get a better look at Din, making her give a shooing motion at him. He still hovers, ignoring her. "He's quite handsome, your type exactly." She glares up at him. What did _that_ mean?

"He is not my type."

"Oh, come on, indulge him, Amalas." Anakin says, walking (floating?) over and laying an arm on Obi-Wan's shoulder casually, as if they were friends once again during the time of the Clone Wars. She notices Obi-Wan's side glance at Anakin, continuing to focus on Din. "He's just curious, and so am I. What's he like?"

"Yes, please indulge me, my child." Obi-Wan says, shrugging Anakin's arm off of him. "You hardly talk to me anymore-"

"Father, really-"

"Yes, really. If you would call on me more, I wouldn't have to badger you so much-"

"Father!" The two glare at each other, the Force seeming to laugh at them. A groan catches her attention, removing her gaze from her father and turning back to Din. She slides her hand under his chin, gently using her pointer finger who move his face toward her. His pretty dark eyelashes flutter against his cheeks, wet from tears. She's not sure if the tears are from the pain he was experiencing or whatever emotional turmoil was going on, but at the moment it didn't matter. She just needed him to wake up.

"Din? Can you hear me?" He shifts slightly before freezing, letting out a pained gasp right after. His eyes slightly flutter open, meeting her gaze briefly, before he shut them once again.

"A-Ama..." He trails off, his head rolling to the side. She curses quietly under her breath, cursing the storm, cursing her past, cursing everything that she could.

"I have to get him back. If he has internal injuries, he won't make it before this storm is over." Amalas isn't sure if she's talking to herself or to the two Force ghosts in the Temple, but she lifts her communication bracelet to her mouth. "Yarick, are you there?" There's a brief second of silence before his voice comes over the channel, slightly spotty and unclear. She figures it must be because of the storm.

_"Yes, Your Majesty. Did you find him?"_

"I did, but he is in poor shape. I... I believe he was attacked."

_"By the same one who attacked Griselle?"_

"I don't know." She replies, her voice quiet. "He is injured but I do not know the extent of it. From my exam, he's suffered a lot of damage. I'm trying to wait until the rain calms down before I attempt to return, but I will do what I can before I trek back."

_"Be careful, Amalas. We will be waiting for you with medical help ready."_

"Thank you." She wouldn't be able to heal all of his injuries with the Force, it would drain her too much and she wouldn't be able to carry him back, even with the help of the Force on her side. She had higher stamina than normal, but there was a reason she never used Force heal. It gave her too many memories of people she could have saved but wasn't quick enough.

"Will you at least tell me what he is like?" Obi-Wan asks, making her glance up at him before continuing to dig through the bag. If she could at least stabilize his leg and arm, she could make it back easily without jostling him too much. If she healed the smaller gashes and cuts, it wouldn't drain her too much, and she'd leave the rest to the doctors to finish healing him.

"Please, Amalas. I... I know it's been difficult with... With me being gone-"

"You made yourself a hermit on Tatooine to watch over Luke because that is what you thought would be the best option." She snapped, making him coil back slightly. She backed off slightly, furrowing her eyebrows at her sudden irritation. Well, it wasn't exactly sudden. Ever since the day she felt his life force leave the living world, and after she found out what had happened on the Death Star, she couldn't believe that he had gone out like that. But it was Obi-Wan Kenobi, of course he went out like that. He had to go out with a dramatic exit.

Didn't stop her from resenting him.

When he had called her after Order 66, showing her the twin babies of Padme after she passed, Bail, Yoda and Obi-Wan made the decision that he was to split them up, which she warned them would not end well, would result in a horrible outcome, but he ignored her. She had begged him, _begged_ him to reconsider, to come home to Stewjon and they could raise the twins in hiding without the Empire hunting them. But he... He ignored her and now...

"I told you it was a bad call to split up Luke and Leia."

"Having three Force sensitive children in one place was a dangerous idea-"

"Stewjon was off the Empire's radar! Do you know how well we could have risen them here?! Here where they would have been safe? Where they could have learned about their history without you suffering in silence for all those years?!"

The Force hums at her to calm down, the air crackling with energy as she stands up, her fists clenched at her sides. Both of them step back slightly. They may be ghosts, but they sure as hell knew what she was capable of when she was angry. If she was strong enough, she might even be able to go into the afterlife and punch them into next year.

"I know you were devoted to the Republic, but you chose a corrupt government, a corrupt _Order,_ over your own daughter! Do you know how much that hurt me? You both could have changed the galaxy if you hadn't been so foolish in your ignorance!"

The guilt that crosses both of their faces makes her take a step back, but her heartbeat pounds in her ears, her adrenaline flowing. She couldn't stop even if she wanted to. She can hear the storm getting worse, and she's not sure if it's her or the natural atmosphere. The rain beats down harder, thunder and lightning becomes more frequent.

"If the Jedi had been wise, they would have made sure that Anakin would have received proper care considering he had been taken away from his mother, watched as the man who promised to raise him was killed, and then was groomed from a young age to be a warrior! And then, alert, alert, a weirdo is creeping on your Padawan!" She points at Anakin. "You should have realized what Palpatine was planning from the moment you met him! I did and I was a child! And yet no one would listen to me!"

"We were clouded by the Dark Side, Amalas. That's not fair-"

"You know what else is not fair?" She hisses, making Obi-Wan shrink back. "The fact that you all had the audacity to sit around while my mother was being overthrown after begging you for help! What did the Council do? Sit around, because "Mandalore is a neutral planet, we cannot get involved". That was such bantha-"

A hand laying on her shoulder makes her break off, freezing as the new presence enters the Force, and she sags in shame.

"It was not their fault, young one."

"Master, I-" Qui-Gon gently wraps his large hand around the back of her neck, and despite him being dead, being a ghost for that matter, she can feel the warmth that she once enjoyed as a child, comforting her even now.

"Focus on your current situation, Amalas." He says soothingly. "We can talk about these two later." Amalas clenches her hands before looking down at Din, remembering what she was doing. She's still fuming, but Din was more important than telling off her father and Anakin. She kneels back down, picking the medical scanner back up. Just as she thought, he had internal damage. Without a proper medical scan, she could only identify the smaller problems, a few _maybe_ bruised ribs and what was hopefully light internal bleeding. She had to get him back and fast.

The three ghosts are silent while they watch her work, and she can feel the guilt and sadness in the Force being projected from Obi-Wan and Anakin, a slight bit of guilt flooding her system. After a bit, she sighs quietly, using some bandages to stop the bleeding on his cheeks or knuckles.

"He is kind and sweet, and very intelligent. Strong morals, a heart of gold. Despite the armor and rough exterior, he is empathetic and kind." She says quietly. "He has taken an interest in Stewjon and the people, and... And he is adjusting well. He..." She cups his cheek, her heart aching at the sound of his ragged breathing. Slowly, she slides her fingers up to his forehead and calls on the Force, focusing. She just needs to heal enough of his wounds to get him back and the doctors would do the rest.

Amalas feels three hands come and lay on her shoulders or back, and she can feel the Force growing stronger, the three sending their own power through her to help. She feels him relax under the feeling. He must be getting some relief from the pain. That's all that matters to her.

She pulls away, the three pulling away from her and giving her space as she packs up and puts his cuirass and pauldrons into the bag. She stabilizes his arm with her outer layer of her robe, wraps his head injuries with some bandages, and applies some bacta to the smaller cuts for some relief before she slides his helmet back on. She packs up the lanterns, adjusts her sabers on their holds, then turns to look at Obi-Wan, who raises his gaze from Din to her.

"I will... I will talk to you later." He looks at her, his eyes flickering all over her face before he nods slowly.

"Of course. I hope he turns out to be okay." She doesn't reply, just nods. Qui-Gon lays a hand on her shoulder and Anakin gives her a respectful nod, before they fade out of the air. She runs a hand over her face before kneeling down in front of Din, pulling him onto her back once again. He drapes over her, grunting softly in pain as he settles on her back.

_Please don't die before I get you help._

* * *

It was painful, waiting for his queen and best friend to return. The rain had become heavy over the hour she'd been gone. Brand was just finishing the last preparations for the storm protocols, and he and Grogu were waiting patiently at the doors facing west, waiting for any sign of her. The doctors were standing nearby, checking over their equipment every few minutes as they waited. Thunder rumbled in the pitch black sky, lightning flashing. Maker, he hoped there wouldn't be any wildfires from a result of this storm. And hopefully, there wouldn't be too much damage from the winds that would set the preparations for the festival back. If so, Amalas would have to push the festival off until the day of the summer equinox. The Council members were already in favor anyway, so if she called a meeting in the morning, then it might be okay. But he knew that she would put Din's health and safety above things first.

Before he could spiral into his thoughts further, he feels a hand on his bicep and turns his head to see Gloxia, smiling up at him, a tinge of sadness on her face.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asks quietly. Grogu had fallen asleep again, and so he had to go find the carrier that he had seen Din use. He wouldn't call him by his name normally, not to his face anyway, but right now as he thought about the Mandalorian, he couldn't help it.

"I heard what happened. I wanted to see if I could help in any way. I... I can't just wait around, it won't help her." Yarick nods in understanding.

"How is she?"

"Better. Surgery went well, her vitals getting better." She crosses her arms, shaking her head. "How long has Amalas been gone?"

"A little over an hour. She made contact about forty minutes ago." He sighs heavily. "Sounds like he was attacked, too."

"Same person?"

"We don't know all of the details yet. We have been waiting for her for a while now, but she's taking longer than I figured she would."

"She might've used the Force to heal him some. You know she doesn't like using the healing aspects of her powers."

"I know, and that came to my mind, too. The storm..." He looks out worriedly once more, straightening when he catches a glint at the edge of the forest. He grabs the binocs, lifting them to his line of sight, and relief floods him.

She's carrying Din on her back, the crazy woman. The man isn't exactly light, Yarick knew that from their lessons, but Amalas was a different kind of person. Considering she could carry Yarick himself on her back, it made sense that she could carry Din, too.

"There!" She was barely half a klick away, but they could meet her onto the covered porch. She treks through the rain quickly, crossing the field in an inhuman record of time, but it was Amalas. Of course it was inhuman.

The doctors quickly pull Din off of her back and onto the gurney, a hoarse grunt breaking through the modulator. They settle him and immediately start wheeling him in, heading straight to the hospital. Thank goodness they had built a small medical wing in the palace years ago for the royal family. It gave the royals privacy from the people, and has helped generations have children without the people prying to see the new children. And in this case, it has helped with secrecy of attacks. At first, Amalas had wanted to transfer Griselle to the royal medical wing for a higher level of security, but the doctors immediately told her it wasn't a good idea. She wasn't stable enough, so they would leave her at the normal hospital for now until they can find this attacker.

"He has head trauma and internal damage. Looks like his left arm and right leg are either fractured or broken, maybe a right shoulder dislocation. The scanner I had was not enough to know the full extent. He said he tripped, but I know the difference between attack wounds and trip wounds." The doctors nod in understanding, pulling him into an examination room swiftly, stopping the gurney in the middle of the room.

"We will have to take off his helmet." One doctor says, and Amalas hesitates. Yarick glances at her worriedly, before she nods. She takes off her bag and hands it to him. She's dripping from the rain, her hair soaked and falling out of her bun she had done before she left. Her robes are soaked and Yarick knows she doesn't care; she always put her friends and comrades above herself.

Amalas steps into the room and the door closes, and she quickly walks up to Din, sliding her hands on his neck and leaning down so he can hear her.

"Din, we need to take off your helmet. You're injured and you need medical help." She's not sure if he's awake or not, until she feels his hand weakly come up to her wrist, his hand wrapping around it and gripping it weakly. Her voice lowers to a whisper, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You can't die."

"Do..." He gasps out, her heart aching at the sound. "Whatever... Needs to... Be done..." His grip lessens before his hand falls away, and she can feel his pulse start slowing. Panic blooms in her chest and Amalas pulls away quickly, looking at the doctors with hard eyes.

"Save him."

* * *

Amalas paced worriedly outside of the room, Gloxia and Yarick waiting on the bench across from the door. The three of them watched her pace, Grogu attempting to reach out to her through the Force, but she was blocked off. She was worried, clearly, but Yarick and Gloxia didn't know what to say in support. Besides, they were worried about the Mandalorian, too. At least she took the towel that Gloxia had offered her, and had pulled her hair out of its bun to dry her hair, which puffed up in curls that she immediately pulled into a ponytail.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the door slides open and a doctor steps out. Amalas was in front of him immediately, crossing her arms over her chest tightly.

"How is he?"

"Stable, for now."

"For now?"

"He's teetering on a very sharp cliff, to put it metaphorically." She raises her eyebrow. "His injuries were consistent with an attack, like you said. A combination between past injuries and these injuries were... Almost detrimental."

"What kind of past injuries?"

"For one thing, his ribcage didn't quite heal right after what looks like a blast injury." Oh, right. The Navarro accident she had heard about through her connections with the New Republic was the talk of the month, not to mention her tracking on Moff Gideon... "His new injuries in his chest were several fractured ribs so we stabilized his chest with a wrap. His left arm was fractured in multiple areas, same with his right leg, just like you said. They have been casted, and we've treated his other wounds with bacta and have also given him a level four bacta infusion to help alleviate the pain."

Her eyes go wide and her eyebrows shoot up at that. Did she hear him right? "A level four infusion? Is that not the-"

"Yes, the special bacta. We figured it would be the most beneficial right now."

The amusement that was pouring off of Yarick and Gloxia made her want to turn around and hit them both upside the head. Instead, though, she nods, taking a deep breath to center herself before nodding.

"Anything else?"

"A mild concussion, a _small_ bleed in his brain that we were able to stop, and some... Some internal bleeding."

"Some? How much is "some"?"

"We... We did have to do a small surgery in order to stop it."

"Oh, Maker." She feels dizzy all of a sudden. A surgery? On Din? That idea had slightly come to mind before she tossed it away. "Did you run a toxicity panel at all?"

"Yes, we are waiting on that now." He pauses briefly while she mulls the new information over. "Would you like to see him?"

"Yes, please." She turns to Yarick and Gloxia, who nod at her in understanding before turning her attention to the green child in Yarick's lap. Grogu coos up at her worriedly, his big brown eyes looking up at her hopefully, and it makes her heart pang. "I will come get you when he asks, okay?" His ears droop slightly, so she sends a small pulse of reassurance through the Force to him before she follows the doctor back inside.

Amalas almost cries when she sees him. He's on a new cot, and thankfully, the room was specialized for quick procedures and scans, so the other doctors were cleaning up, before they shuffled to the other side of the room so the two could have their privacy.

Bandages wrap around the middle of his forehead to the back of his skull, probably to prevent the back gash she had felt from getting infected or worse. Smaller bandages cover the bigger cuts on his face. He's dressed in the light gray hospital robes, the right pant leg cut above the cast. She can see the outline and bulk of the chest wrap, and his left arm hangs in the sling around his neck, also in a cast. Bruises are on his face, knuckles and arms, and she's sure he has more under his clothing. Hopefully that bacta worked quickly on him. Even his throat was wrapped in bandages; no wonder he couldn't get a proper sentence out without gasping for air. She can see a few wires poking out for his vitals, an infusion line hooked up to the crook of his elbow. He has oxygen cannula in his nose, probably to help regulate his breathing, considering he might had lung damage from the attack.

She reaches, gently cupping his face and stroking a part of his skin that didn't look red or bruised, but it was sort of impossible. She knew how well beskar could protect against blows and hits, but seeing him like this and the way his armor had been so loose in the Temple? The attacker could have taken off his armor to land more devastating blows, and the thought makes her furious.

Before she can spiral into dark thoughts, she hears him let out a shaky breath before his semi good hand comes up and lays over hers on his face, his head turning ever so slightly as his eyes struggle to open.

"Ammie...?" She can't help but smile at the nickname, reaching and laying her other hand in his hair and he relaxes under her touch.

"I am here." She says softly. The doctors finish cleaning up before leaving, only one doctor staying behind as he looks over Din's chart. "Can you hear me?" He nods slightly, wincing at the effort.

"What..." He coughs slightly, once again grimacing. "Happened...?"

"I don't know." She says, ever so gently stroking his curls. They must have rinsed him off because his hair is slightly damp from water and not from sweat. "I was hoping you could tell me that." He stares at her for a minute under a hooded gaze, his body slowly relaxing as the infusion works its amazing properties.

"I, uh..." He shuts his eyes, trying to remember. "I remember... Storming out of the chambers... And... And then I was in the forest? I tripped, I think..." He shakes his head slightly, dropping off and she nods.

"It's okay." She murmurs. "Do you want my help to clear the fog?" He doesn't even question what she means, just nods at her normally.

"I... If you think that it will work..." He gives a slight nod and she lays her palm flat against the top of his head, focusing and letting him do the rest. He relaxes into her touch, a mix between the Force and the infusion helping him.

"I was walking through the forest." He says, his voice quiet as his eyes shut. "I was... I wasn't focusing right, was still thinking about... About you and the data... I was hit from behind, and then..." He removes his hand from the back of hers, scratching at his scalp slightly as he shifts for a more comfortable position.

"And then?"

"And then... It's just... Pain after that. They took-" He pauses, his voice becoming choked. "They took off my helmet, Amalas. They took it off."

"They? Are you saying there was more than one person?" He's quiet, his gaze pointed down before his beautiful, brown eyes jump back up to look at her.

"Yes."

" _Who,_ Din? Who was it?" He blinks, his vision blurring as his eyes shine.

"It... It was Rowan." She straightens in her stool, rage flooding her system. "He... After I was, uh... Barely able to move, I remember him kneeling down in front of me with my helmet, _my helmet,_ Amalas, in his hands. He said..." He inhales, the breath shuddered and... And scared. "He said I would never be worthy of anyone and that I deserved to die in that forest. Told me that you only wanted me to show me off, and to... To use me."

She remains quiet, her lips pursed while boiling hot white rage flooded her system. She can hear the Force humming in the back of her head before his hand reaches out, cupping her face and bringing her back to the situation at hand, his skin warm and rough, but so gentle and full of love that the rage floods out of her just as quickly as it filled her and puddles at her feet.

"I see." She murmurs, turning her head slightly to kiss his palm. They sit there in silence for a minute before he lets out a happy, relieved sigh, her gaze flickering up to his face once again.

"What are you guys giving me? Not that I'm complaining, because it feels _good._ " His voice is lighter than usual, carefree, unlike the devastating tone he had a few moments ago and it makes her raise her eyebrows. Oh, good, the infusion was kicking in. His voice is breathy, happy even when he talks. Distracting him while he was high like this would be easy.

"You remember what I told you about how we usually make our medications stronger than normal?"

"Mhm."

"Yes, well," she giggles, "there is a plant indigenous to Stewjon that we use to enhance our bacta. So, right now, you're getting a level four infusion, which contains some of the extra properties." He relaxes into the cot, another happy sigh leaving his lips. Maker, she wants to kiss him so bad, but the other doctor is still here and she's not sure how well he'd react to that.

"I like this infusion a lot." He says, grinning dumbly, and her heart warms. He waves his hand at her lazily. "Oh, you know what's funny, Ammie?"

"What's that?"

"How quickly things can change." She tilts her head slightly, raising her eyebrow curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ ," he says slowly, a sleepy drawl to his tone. "I mean how I went from playing with my friends in my village, to being rescued by Mandalorians and suddenly I'm an orphan. And _then,_ I make a decision to save a little green gremlin that likes to eat frogs and eggs, and then I lose my ship and then I lose him. I mean, I got him back, but... But that ship was my home, y'know? And then you show up and then we get Grogu back and then..." He dissolves into giggles and she glances at the doctor, who looks at her curiously, sending her an inquisitive look. She shrugs slightly before turning back to him, and he waves at her again.

"Oh! Speaking of Grogu, where is he?" He lifts his head slightly, wincing with the effort but he looks around worriedly. "Where is he?" He looks confused and worried, and Amalas gently pats his hand in comfort.

"I'll go get him, just lay back down." He nods, laying his head back against the pillow, but tracks her with his eyes as she gets up and walks out of the room. Yarick and Gloxia look up at her in concern, and she smiles slightly at them, at least to ease their feelings.

"How is he?" Yarick asks quietly.

"As well as you would expect. I will fill you in about him in a minute." She replies, then looks down at Grogu, who is staring at the door, as if knowing what condition his father was in. "You want to go see him?" His arms shoot up so fast, Amalas almost laughs. She picks him up, adjusting him in her arms before nodding at the two.

"I will be back shortly."

"Of course." She nods at them once more before walking back into the room, Din lifting his head at the sound of the door opening. He perks up when he sees Grogu, and the child leans out with his arms stretched to Din. Amalas picks up her pace and gently sets him on top of his chest, Din's hand immediately coming up to support his back, a smile on his face.

"Hey, kid, hey." Grogu whimpers slightly, reaching with his three fingered hands to touch Din's face, who sighs and relaxes into the touch. "I'm okay, I promise." The relief and worry that leaks into the Force is absolutely breathtaking, but she's happy that they're together again. Grogu was so worried that he didn't speak a whole lot throughout the day. Amalas didn't blame him.

Grogu settles on Din's chest, and he's light enough where he doesn't hurt him, and Din looks up at her, smiling weakly.

"Thank you." He murmurs. She smiles softly, sitting back down in the stool. "I'm... I'm really tired..."

"Mm, it's the drugs." She replies easily. "You want to sleep?" He nods, growing drowsy and she reaches, gently pressing her fingers to his temple, and within a couple of seconds, he's out like a light. The doctor chuckles in the corner, looking at her amused.

"I love when you knock people out with your powers, Your Majesty."

"Isn't it nice?" He nods, turning to her as he picks up a data screen.

"We got the panel results back."

"And?"

"You're lucky that you found him so quickly. He was drugged." She narrows her eyes.

"With what?"

"An off world drug, I believe. You're lucky that you found him when you did. If you had been even thirty minutes later, he most likely would have died, and not from his injuries. He had a poor reaction to it and it almost reached his heart by the time we gave him the right medications to counteract it."

"That must be why he could not fight back."

"Yes, exactly."

"Did you find an injection site?"

"No, no injection site. This was most likely ingested." Her eyebrows raise at that.

"Like he ate it?"

"Yes, an effective dosage idea. It was most likely tasteless and he must have either drank it or ate it." Her hands clenched her robes, the anger she had felt earlier starting to boil again.

Oh, Rowan was dead. He was so dead.

"Anything else?" She struggled to keep her voice even, but the doctor was no fool. He saw the expression on her face, so he quickly changed the subject.

"I am concerned about his vitamin levels."

"Vitamin levels?"

"Yes, low iron, very low natural intake of different vitamins."

"The man never takes off his armor, what else do you expect?"

"Yes, true." He chuckles. "I would like for him to start on some supplements and perhaps change his diet to add more natural vitamins to it. He's also a bit... Underweight for his age, too." She can't help but laugh at that. He was well muscled and strong, a bit soft, but she liked that. Made for great cuddles, and she ached at the thought. Oh, if she had just pushed off that meeting, they could have avoided all this...

"Underweight?"

"I'm guessing from eating ration bars all the time when he was active in his profession." She snorts slightly, looking up at Din. He was eating a hell of a lot better now that he was living on Stewjon, and she wasn't really surprised that he wouldn't take care of himself when he was alone. In her head, she knew he didn't take care of himself often, indulge in many things like bacta and proper medical care. The scars he had proved that.

She huffed. "Yeah, I figured as much."

"It's a good thing you found him, Your Majesty." She looks up at him, seeing his eyes sparkle in amusement. "I think he is good for you."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes. A lot of people do." She softens at that, looking up at Din as his head moves to the left, facing her. His good hand laid on Grogu's back, who was asleep as well. His lips were parted slightly, breaths hoarse but at least they're even now.

"Have him set up in a secure room here. I will send a small guard to secure his wing. I must go take care of some... Things now." Oh, he immediately knew what that meant and immediately set to setting up the transport.

"Have the rest of his armor sent for cleaning, too. Just keep his helmet, and no one except for you or the other doctors who worked on him are allowed to go in and out. No one sees his face unless he consents to it, understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. We understand." She nods, gently cupping his face one last time before heading out of the room. Yarick and Gloxia stand, and they crowd to the side of the hallway so the transport can go smoothly.

"He was attacked."

"He was?" The two chorus, and she nods.

"Yes." She glances around, lowering her voice. "The doctor said he was drugged with something this morning and must have ingested it, that's why he was too weak to fight back. He explained to me... He told me that he was hit from behind, and that they removed his armor." The fire that lit up in Yarick's and Gloxia's eyes made her proud to call them her friends. Even though they hardly knew Din, they were protective of him, and that was admirable. They understood his Creed, however twisted it may be, and understood it was still a very important part of his identity. That's why they never pushed him to take it off.

"Who did this? Is it who we-"

Gloxia is cut off by the sound of Yarick's comm beeping, all three looking down at it curiously. He taps on his vambrace once.

"Brand, what is it?"

_"We have a rat on our doorstep, Captain. What would you like me to do with it?"_

They all stiffen. Amalas narrows her eyes. Did this man really have the gull, the _audacity,_ to show up at the palace after what he'd done? Well, maybe he didn't know what they knew, and that's why he was here.

"Hold." Yarick looks at her as she fumes quietly, but a plan is formulating in her head. "What do you want to do?"

Amalas remains quiet before looking up at them, and their posture immediately stiffens at the look in her eyes.

"Let him in."

* * *

The storm still raged on. Guards lined the walls, their armor shining with every flash of lightning in the sky, the tall clear windows allowing for a devastating view of the rain and whatever lightning they could see. The throne, sitting singularly in the middle of the wall on the east side, was flanked with the Captain, Lieutenant and Sargent, their amor polished looking, their spears sharp and glinting in the dim light. The room was dark, only lighting up occasionally with the lightning and the dim symbols next to the head of the throne.

And the one seated upon the throne was someone to be afraid of, and not someone to laugh at.

The two guards escorting Rowan throw him onto the ground about ten feet away from the steps, making sure he keeps his distance from the queen. He gives them slight glares before getting to his knees, mocking a deep bow with his forehead pressed to the floor.

"Oh, Your Majesty. Thank you so much for meeting with me. I have thought long and hard about what our people truly needs, and I am proud to say I have figured it out."

"Is that so?" He flinches at her voice. Cold, terrifyingly calm, and smooth. The storm reflected her mood, and the lightning lit up her blue eyes, her hair looking like fire when lit up.

"Oh, yes, Your Majesty."

"And is that conclusion of yours hurting two people?"

"P-Pardon?" She slowly stands, pushing herself up from the throne swiftly with her hands on the armrests, and slowly begins descending the stairs. She's dressed in her black Jedi robes, the hilts of her sabers gently hitting off her hips as she steps. Her hair falls around her shoulders like waves, and her eyes stare into his soul.

"You have some audacity to come before me and act like you are not behind this scheme." She says, her tone sharp and curt.

"I-I am not sure what you are talking about, my Queen. I really don't know-" He starts scrambling back. He always thought that the queen was stunning, despite not being full blooded Stewjoni, but right now, in this instance, she was death incarnate. He can feel the cold fury rolling off of her, and he can hear distant whispers in his ears that are too faint for him to understand. With another flash of lightning, behind her appears multiple figures, and his blood runs cold as he recognizes who they are.

Prince Obi-Wan is among them, and all of them suddenly look very, _very_ alive, their eyes practically glowing in the dark.

"M-My Queen, please, I sincerely do not understand-"

The pressure around his throat cuts him off, his body slowly lifting off the ground as his hands fly up to claw at his throat at the invisible hand.

"Assume I know everything, Rowan Otha." She hisses. "Who are you working for?" She drops him unceremoniously, and he lets out a sharp cry as pain explodes in his knee. He's certain it just shattered.

"I do not know what you are talking about! What scheme-"

"Griselle Athos." He freezes, and she narrows her eyes. The dark look that crosses her face is terrifying and he tries to scoot further back from her. She stands in the same spot as he tries to get away from her, staring at him like he was some sort of vermon. The whispers are getting louder, taunting him, telling him how he had invoked the wrath of the Force's daughter, and distantly, intertwined in those whispers, are screams of torture and terror.

 _"You have invoked the wrath of the daughter."_ He hears Prince Obi-Wan's voice whisper.

 _"Now you will pay the price."_ He hears General Skywalker's voice murmur.

_"Now-"_

Amalas takes another step forward, and his body lifts up once more.

"Who are you working for?"

"I really don't know-"

"Remember that we can access your financials." He's pretty sure his blood stops pumping. "We have two transactions totaling two hundred thousand credits." The Lieutenant's voice is cold and void of emotion, but there's a fury to her eyes.

_"You will-"_

"The Mandalorian." She hisses, her eyes showing that she meant death if he didn't speak but he knew she wouldn't kill him, the pressure increasing around his throat, and he feels it around his lungs, too. "Who are you working for?!"

_"Pay the price."_

"H-His name w-was-" He gasps out, the voices lingering like a gong in his head, the pressure releasing slightly. "T-Thrawn, or something like that!" She narrows her eyes coolly.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes!" He cackles in glee, squirming in her hold, the mask of sanity finally falling away. "You don't deserve to be queen! You're not full Stewjoni, you're an abomination! He was going to give me the planet! He's coming for you, and for the tin can and for the little green demon as well! You all are going to perish under him, I will tell you that! You all are doomed!"

The crack echoes throughout the throne room, and his body falls to the ground with a thud, silence enrapturing the room before thunder booms in the sky. Amalas slowly turns to Yarick and Gloxia, who stare at the body with a disappointed gaze, as if they wanted a turn with him. They meet her gaze, her hands clenched at her sides.

"Contact Ahsoka."


	17. "The Silver Reaper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Events are gonna move quickly, but you guys are gonna love this chapter. I promise with my whole heart.

When Din opened his eyes, the first thing he registered was the light snoring from Grogu, followed by the beeping of the vital monitor somewhere to his left? Maybe? He stares up at the paneling for the room for a minute before slowly lifting his head to find Grogu curled up against his hip, a small green blanket draped over him. He sleeps peacefully against Din, and he smiles softly down at his kid. Then, he rolls his head over to the right and softens at the pretty lady sitting in a chair. Well, slouched in a chair more like, but she's still gorgeous. How long ago did she fall asleep?

He wondered how long Amalas had been sitting there. Her head dipped to her chest as she slept, her hand sprawled on the spine of a book that was halfway read and clutched to her chest, her hair in a simple braid over her shoulder. She's wearing a simple dark green sweater that falls to her hips it looks like over a dark gray shirt, black lounging pants and simple shoes. Her lips are parted slightly as she breathes, chest rising and falling in even movements. Her lightsabers were on a table right next to the chair, within her reach in case something happened.

The sensible thing a person would do is softly call her name to wake her up until she did, you know, like a normal person.

No.

What did Din do?

He found a small squishy ball by Grogu, grunting quietly because he had to twist his body to grab it, and tossed it at Amalas. The moment it left his hand he knew he was doomed and he was ready to accept his fate.

The ball hit Amalas right on the nose, and she jumped up so fast he shrunk into the bed. The book fell to the floor with a thud and she had grabbed one lightsaber so quickly, he felt honestly scared. He knew her reaction timing was impeccable, but with that action right when she woke up?

The white glow of the saber filled the room as she looked around, blinking in confusion before she laid her gaze on Din. They stare at each other, unsure of what to say or how to act before there's a knock at the door, their heads turning at the noise.

"Your Majesty? Is everything okay?"

"Y-Yes! Everything is fine!" Amalas calls back, the saber powering down. She blinks tiredly, standing still for a minute as she gains her bearings, and it's only then he realizes how exhausted she must be. Guilt immediately floods him as the events come back to him, playing out in his mind like a recording. She sets her saber down on the table next to the other one, and then looks down at the ball that rolls against her feet. She opens up her hand, the ball flying up off the ground and into her fingers. She stares at it before looking at him, her eyebrow raised.

"Did you throw this at me?"

He shrinks slightly in his bed, fighting off the guilt and shame that threatens to come onto his face.

"...No?" Amalas stares at him with the most incredulous look he's ever seen on a person, and he thinks she's gonna disconnect his monitor so she can kill him but instead, she just shakes her head and sits halfway on the edge of the bed, patting his thigh gently.

"How long..." He coughs, his throat dry and rough, making his voice raspier than usual. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About two days."

"Really?"

"Mm. Doctors wanted to keep you under sedation so they could purge the unknown drugs out of your system and so your body could rest for a bit without you straining." He furrows his eyebrows, swallowing to wet his throat a bit and groans in pain a bit. She stands, pouring some water into a cup from a plastic pitcher on the table by his bed, handing it over to him and retaking her spot. He takes a few grateful sips, lowering it back down and staring up at the ceiling.

"Did you say I had drugs in my system?"

"The reason why you could not fight back was because you were drugged that morning. Our theory is that you must have ingested it, so it might have been in your food or drink." He shivers involuntarily. So the theory about a spy among the staff must be true, if they're able to get that close to him. The thing was though, the maidservants often rotated, but he knew of Rheya, who brought him to the dining hall the first night he was on Stewjon and who blushed when he laughed, and Celesta, a shy servant that he didn't know that well. As far as he knew, the servants would leave their food while they were in the fresher, and Rheya was the only one who he interacted with often.

"Do you remember who brought you your food that morning?" He shakes his head.

"I was in the fresher." Amalas mumbles something under her breath before she sighs.

"I see." He shifts slightly, reaching and setting the cup down before pushing himself up against the pillows, wincing with the effort.

"Listen, I... I'm sorry about that morning, I didn't mean to blow up at you like that. I just..." He trails off, struggling to find the words. It's not exactly easy to apologize. It was difficult for him; being stubborn his whole life he learned that not apologizing either got you pitied or was shown as a weakness. But there was something about Amalas that made him want to apologize and he wasn't sure what it was.

"It wasn't right of me to blow up at you like that, especially in front of all those people. I know it wasn't your fault," he notices a brief flicker of emotion change cross her face but he ignored it, continuing to blabber on. "I was upset and I just kept thinking that if you were maybe a day earlier you could've helped, because I know you're capable of protecting like that and so I just-"

"I was there." She says quietly, but it's enough to cut him off. He blinks in confusion as he processes the sentence.

"W-What?"

"I was on Sorgus before the attack. For a while, actually." Her eyes stare at the wall before flickering back up to him. "You were just a child, and your parents were the healers of the village. I crash landed there after a battle, and your village, your parents, took me in and took care of me while I healed."

All feeling goes out of his body.

Those memories... They'd become muddled as he grew up, and faces blurred as time went on. He remembered the outside that had landed on his planet, but even those events were blurry. But he did remember the kind woman that taught him all about starships, and that was the start for him of wanting to be a pilot. He thought about those stories every day until it came true, and then as he grew older, they had faded. And now... Now that she was saying these things...

"Y-You..."

"I left two days before the attack on Sorgus because I had to get back to my station." She clenches the fabric of her pants tightly, eyes glossing over as she shakes her head. "Din, I am so sorry-"

"Get out."

The devastating look on her face makes his heart clench, and he doesn't know what the hell possessed him to say it, but the ball of boiling anger forming in his stomach clouds any coherent thought.

"Din, I-"

"Get. Out."

"Din-"

"Get away from me!" She flinches back as if he hit her, and that makes the guilt grow but he can't help it. He feels exactly like how he felt a few days ago; defending himself by shutting himself off from everyone he knew was his main form of a coping mechanism. Anger was familiar to him and he used it to hide his real emotions as a cover up, and it pained him, in more ways than one, to revert back to this kind of feeling. Betrayal, anger, maybe even resentment bubbles up in his chest and stomach, and he struggles to back away from her.

The physical pain overcomes the emotional pain quickly, however.

"Din, please, just listen to what I-"

She can't even finish her sentence as his vital monitor starts going out of whack. His hand flies up to his chest, clawing at it in a panic as his breath shorts out. He can't breathe and his heart feels like it's about to jump out of his chest with the way it's beating.

"I need help in here!"

* * *

Grogu gently clawed at her shirt, making Amalas break her gaze from the floor to look at him instead. He whines softly, his brown eyes shining. She lifts one hand and takes his fingers in between hers, opening up their bond in the Force, allowing them to speak to each other. It'd been a little bit over thirty minutes since she was shooed out, and now they waited rather impatiently in the hallway, but her thoughts just kept drifting off into a very dark abyss. Thankfully, Grogu was there to pull her out of it, and she was ever the more grateful for him.

_Why did he react that way?_

_"I do not know, little one. I wish I had an answer for you, but... But I do not."_

_Is he mad at you?_

_"I think so."_

_But it's not his fault. He has to know that, right?_

_"I think he does, child. But your father has gone through a lot of things recently, and all of that adds to his past situations, too. He just needs to process everything. And what I told him really messed him up."_

_Will he be okay?_

Amalas's shoulders sag in response to that, looking away from the child, trying to formulate some sort of comforting response before looking up as Yarick approached. She nearly sighed in relief for the distraction. Grogu sat up straight at the sight of him, too, staring up at her captain curiously. He pulls off his helmet, sighing softly as he slowly lowered himself into the seat next to her.

"Hey." He says softly, setting the helmet on the table in front of them. "I spoke with the doctors."

"You did?"

"Yes. They wanted me to relay this to you."

"What happened? Is he okay?"

"He had a mild panic attack, it looks like. That combined with everything else he's experienced sent him over the edge into a cardiac event. They said his heart is still pretty weak from the drugs even though they're out of his system." He leans his elbows on his knees, looking at her with his head tilted. "What happened in there?" Amalas looks away, guilt and shame and horror mixed into her expression. She caused him pain once more after promising to protect him and Grogu, and now look where he was. Laying in a bed, trying to recover after another shock and attack and horrible problems that she seemed to keep causing. Maybe she shouldn't talk anymore.

"I.. I do not know. He woke up, and then he woke me up because I guessed I fell asleep in there, and then... He started apologizing for how he reacted the other day, and..." She holds Grogu tighter to her. "I told him about Sorgus." Yarick goes silent before he buries his face into his hand, rubbing his eyes with his fingers right after, as if trying to quell a headache. She grimaces at the action.

"Oh, Force, Amalas... What made you think that was a good idea?"

"I had to tell him the truth, Yarick. I could not just let him go on about everything like that without him knowing the truth." He sighs heavily, cupping his face with his palms before leaning back, letting his arms hang in between his legs.

"I see." He mumbles. She can sort of hear the understanding in his voice, but she decides not to push another person's buttons today. She sinks down in the chair, looking down at Grogu, who looks just as worried, if not more, staring down the hallway where they came from.

"Gloxia thinks she may have found the spy." Amalas lifts her head at that, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. She lowers her voice, leaning towards him slightly to talk to him.

"Who is it?"

"After going through security footage with Griselle's assistant and talking to Prisca and Reyna in interrogation, and running their financials and everything," Yarick lowers his voice. "We believe it may be Prisca."

"Why?"

"She has had the most interaction with Rowan, both in the past and present. He's the first contact she has on her link." Amalas wrinkles her nose as theories start circulating.

"Do you think they were... Together?"

"Maybe. We wanted to fill you in before taking her in for a more thorough interrogation."

"I see." She sighs softly, leaning back in her chair and shutting her eyes for a moment. Yarick reaches and gently takes her hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"We can do it tomorrow, Amalas. You deserve some rest after what you have been through the past few days. Well, past few weeks."

"But-"

"A queen needs to rest, too."

"Yarick-"

"I will not hesitate to carry you to your room because I will do it." Amalas clamps her mouth shut, going quiet. He's done it before so she knows he's serious about it. He hadn't done it in a few years, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't now, especially with how much stress she'd been under recently.

"Okay, okay." She stands up slowly, looking down at Grogu. "Do you want to spend the night with Din or me?" He looks down the hallway worriedly again before slouching and looking back up at her.

_You._

* * *

About five days passed.

And Din was suffering.

Not because of his injuries. No, the doctors were giving him the bacta infusions every night so he could sleep without pain, and slowly, which was surprising, because bacta usually worked really fast, his body was healing. He was regaining feeling in his finger tips and toes on his broken arm and leg, and the open wound on the back of his head had healed within a day. The smaller cuts and bruises had healed without scarring, thanks to the bacta. The surgical scar was healing quickly, too, and the doctors were enthusiastic about his recovery. They were estimating he would be able to walk in a few days if they continued with the bacta infusions, but they didn't want to overwhelm his system too much with the medications. They were already giving him supplements for his apparent vitamin deficiency (he was embarrassed when they explained that to him), and they were making sure that the food he was receiving was high in protein and natural irons and vitamins.

On his fifth day, after multiple scans and tests, they were able to move him back into his room. Grogu was happy to be back in their room, and the only thing he had to worry about was shifting every so often. The doctors had to have his helmet so they could make sure the brain bleed he had didn't start up again, and he was on concussion watch.

Amalas hadn't visited him since he woke up, and guilt was eating away at him. Yarick would come and visit for a minute before he would take Grogu with him to Amalas so they could continue their lessons, but she would never come personally. But even that stopped about two days ago, and so now all Din could do was attempt at keeping Grogu, and himself, distracted from everything.

Of course, though, nothing was working. He kept thinking about the devastatingly sad look on her face before he had his cardiac episode, and after being left alone with his thoughts for a few days, he was feeling so guilty about everything that occurred. He knows that she was just trying to be honest with him before taking his apology, and Maker, he wanted to wrap her up in a hug and spout of apologies for hours. He was trying to think of a good, sincere, honest apology, but every time he found the small notepad on his lap, words would leave him. A couple of times he thought about just asking Yarick if Amalas could come see him, but when Yarick did visit him, he decided against it.

Then thinking about what she had said about being on Sorgus brought up memories he forgot he had. They were hard to remember, but the things he did remember were the sweet girl that his parents took care of, and that taught him about starships and the galaxy, igniting a desire to become a pilot and explore the world. In a way, he did just that, but in a twisted, cruel way.

Din slightly banged his head against his pillows, staring out the balcony doors of his room, the sun seeming to taunt him with its pretty rays, and it ends up catching the attention of Grogu, who looked at him curiously from where he was playing with some blocks with the Force. Din sighs, turning his head to him as he destroys the yearning to go outside.

"Sorry, kid, I'm just..." He sighs, reaching and rubbing his throat. "I just feel bad for how I reacted with Amalas." He coos softly, a sad tone to it, and Din slightly wishes he could speak, even if it was just babbles or incoherent words. He sets his blocks down and crawls over, laying down with his head on his thigh, patting him awkwardly. Din smiles, reaching with his good hand and gently rubbing his ear.

"No words but still comforting. Thanks." His ears perk up at his mood being lifted a bit, before looking over at the door when a knock sounds.

"Mando? It's Gloxia. Do you mind if I come in?" He quickly reaches, grabbing his helmet off the bedside table and slowly slid it on, blinking to adjust the transition.

"Come in." The door opens and Gloxia peeks her head in, perking up when she sees him in bed, and steps in, shutting the door thoughtfully behind her before walking up.

"Hello, little one." Grogu waves at her, and she smiles at him before turning to him.

The first thing he notices about her, he immediately blurts it out.

"You cut your hair." Gloxia laughs, running her hand through the short cut, lifting the hair to show an undercut. He remembered it had been in a ponytail when he had first met her, and it was in a braid when Griselle was attacked that evening. Now, it was in a short chin length cut, similar to Bo-Katan's, but with an undercut it seemed. She wore a simple short sleeved maroon vest with a dark green elbow length shirt, and black pants that hugged her legs to her calves and short, ankle high black boots. She held a blue tinted glass container in her hands, and her silver communication link bracelet was on her left wrist. Her markings look darker for some reason.

"Yeah, it's, uh, Stewjoni tradition that when someone is in mourning, they cut their hair to signify it. We regard our hair as almost crowns in a way, so cutting it like this signifies our mourning and grief."

Amalas cutting her hair in that vision suddenly makes a whole lot of sense.

"Oh." Was all he said. Gloxia smiles. "What are you doing here, Lieutenant?"

"Just call me Gloxia, I'm off duty." She sits on the edge of the bed shyly, cradling the container in her lap. He slightly smiles. For a bold and outright woman, she was surprisingly shy. "How are you feeling?"

"Feeling better, thankfully. Gaining feeling back in my hand and foot, so a couple of more treatments and I should be able to start standing again." She smiles softly.

"That's good. And how's the little one?" She reaches and gently rubs Grogu's head, who coos happily up at her, before deciding to crawl over his legs and over to her side for more head rubs. He narrows his eyes at his kid, but supposes since they've been in here for the past couple of days, it made sense as to why Grogu was happy to see a different person.

"Doing good, I think. Um... Amalas hasn't been taking him lately, so he's been spending more time with me."

"She is off world right now, that's why." He raises his eyebrows high at that and he knows she can't see him, but when she sees him shift in surprise, she tilts her head.

"Why is she off world?"

"Sightings in the system she was checking out. Not to mention trying to find the assassin that we believe is still on planet, so she's quite busy right now. She is our queen, after all."

"Oh." He mumbles quietly. "Makes sense." She nods.

"So, um, the reason... The reason I came to see you is, uh..." A bright blush crosses her face, and he raises his eyebrow. "I know we don't know each other that well, but I do want to get to know you better, same with my parents. And you know how my mom is a cook?" Her voice is shaky, nervous even, and she pushes some hair behind her ear nervously.

"Yes."

"Well, it took a while to get it right, especially after years of badgering Duchess Satine about it, but..." She hands the container over to him. "I think we finally perfected it." He raises his eyebrows, taking it slowly before setting it down in his lap, pulling off the lid with a slight struggle considering he was one handed, but when he does get it off, his body noticeably softens.

"Is... Is this _uj'alayi_?" She nods excitedly.

"We figured you might be a little homesick, even if you weren't born on Mandalore, and well... Take it as a gift of gratitude."

"Gratitude? Why are you grateful?" She smiles, a mix of sadness and happiness in it.

"Because even though you've known our people and planet for not even a full month, you have taken to protecting and caring for us in a way that not many do when they first meet us. Not to mention how much you've been immersing yourself in our culture and history, and... Well, we've all noticed how close you and Amalas have become." He looks back down at the container at that, pulling the cover back on, his face burning. "We understand why you reacted that way."

"Amalas-"

"Understands, too. It was a surprise to her, too."

"The way she reacted though-"

"After you yelled at her to get away from you? Yeah, I would react that way as well." He looks away. "A healthy relationship is healthy because of communication. When my parents fight, they take some time to themselves to think about the situation, and then they sit down and talk. Growing up that's what they always told me. You both are new to this, so it's going to take time until you two can talk things out on a normal basis. But either you or Amalas has to make that first step."

"She hates me, I know it."

"She doesn't hate you, and you don't hate her. She's coming home in four days, so you better be prepared to sit down with her and talk to her." He purses his lips.

"How do you know so much about relationships to give relationship advice?" She laughs, shaking her head.

"Experience and visual learning." She reaches and pats his hand gently. "You gotta remember that Stewjoni are pretty much love experts. The only exception is our own queen."

"Ouch." Gloxia laughs again, and he can't help but chuckle as well. It's nice to talk to someone like this. If Amalas was off world, it made sense as to why Yarick wasn't around as often, taking up his duties as captain and the right hand man. And he did like Gloxia when he first met her, and had been meaning to reach out to her about her mom but couldn't figure out how to ask for her communication channel or for her to come see him. He realized that he didn't want to seem _needy._

"How is your mother, by the way?" She perks up at that, so hopefully that meant it was good news. He really could use some good right about now.

"She's doing good! The doctors said they're wanting to pull her out of her coma within the next day or so so she can start regaining strength before the Liberty Festival, which by the way has been pushed to the day of the summer equinox."

"Why was it pushed?"

"Gives it not only the people more time to prepare, especially after the storm, but also more time for Amalas to track down this assassin and put everyone at ease."

"Did you guys figure out who was behind it all? And who the spy was?" She nods, plucking off some lint on her pants.

"It was Rowan, like we suspected. Your attack confirmed it, and we found the spy was Prisca, one of the maidservants who was helping you in the library that day. She confessed everything. Turns out they were having an affair together." He nearly gags at the thought. That creep with Prisca? That was not a thought that was welcome in his head and he immediately vanquishes it.

"Are they standing trial now?"

"Well, she is, he's not."

"Why not?"

"'Cause he's dead." He tries to give her the most blank look his helmet can muster, slowly processing that in his head.

"What? How? Did his own assassin kill him?" He meant it sort of as a joke, but also was kind of hoping it was true. That would be so freaking ironic if it was true.

"Ha, no. Amalas killed him."

Din goes still at that, his heart skipping a few beats. Did he hear her right? Did she really just say that?

"She... Killed him?"

"Oh, fuck yeah. It was honestly pretty terrifying, but also hella awesome. He had it coming."

"Why?"

"He said a few things but was really just an honestly horrible person in retrospect." She shrugs. "Good riddance."

"She did say a while back that she was going to put a lightsaber through him."

"Yeah? See, a lightsaber would have been interesting, but the crack that resonated through the throne room in that moment was so satisfying."

Din swallows thickly, remembering the pressure around his throat when she was... Well, when she fucked him that night. And he did say it was hot that with a simple thought she could kill him, but now...

"So, she just... killed him because he said something that pissed her off?"

"Considering the fact he hired an assassin to kill you, and my mother was collateral damage, I think it was more than words that pissed her off." She shrugs one shoulder. "They don't call her the Silver Reaper for nothing."

"The... Silver Reaper?"

"Oh, now that's an interesting story. But," she stands, patting his thigh. "I should let you rest-"

"Wait, don't go yet." He blushes under his helmet at her raised eyebrows. "I mean... you can't just drop that and not expect me to have questions. Plus, I've been resting for the past week. I'm tired of resting." She chuckles, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, I suppose I could stay for a little while. And if your company has been no one other than your kid..." He nods. "Okay. You got a deck of playing cards in here?"

"I think so." He gestures to the bedside table, reaching and setting the container on top before opening the drawer, finding the deck and holding it up. Gloxia smiles, kicking off her boots and walking over to the other side of the bed, where she crawls on and sits cross-legged, taking the deck from him to shuffle it.

"The Silver Reaper. What is that? A nickname?"

"Yeah." She hums thoughtfully. "During the time of the Clone Wars, she was called the Great Strategist because of her techniques and ideas. Because of her, their win rate spiked, and the Separatists only heard the whispers of a Jedi with glowing silver sabers. Then, during the Empire's reign over the galaxy, Amalas tore through battalions, whether they were stormtroopers, commanders, captains, even admirals." She shrugs. "The Rebellion called her Persephone, because sure, she's kind and sweet, but in an instant she can make your life a living hell." He shivered at that. He knows that if they were enemies, if somehow they never met the way they did, he probably wouldn't be alive. He knows this, and somehow, in some way, it just makes him even more attracted to her, but also terrified of her.

Din sure as hell didn't want to meet her in a dark alley.

"Noted."

"And the Empire, on top of calling her the Silver Reaper, called her Dread Queen as well."

"Dread Queen?"

"Oh, yeah." She smirks to herself as she pats the cards smooth. "Once a battalion knew she was on board, the sense of dread that they felt was enough for them to almost surrender. But you know, "for the Empire" and all that shit." He remembers Hess and Mayfield, and the anger that the man had felt toward the admiral. Despite the situation, Din did admire how much his beliefs had changed.

Din supposed that was happening to him, too.

"Did you ever see her fight at full strength?"

"No. She would never let me or Yarick join her on her trips. She needed us to protect her family and the planet, and we understood, but we also wanted to protect her. You don't grow up with someone without feeling the need to protect them, even if they don't need it very often." He nodded slightly, sitting up better as she started to hand out the cards.

"Did Bo-Katan or Ahsoka ever see her fight at full strength?"

"I'm not sure if she ever was at full strength, but..." She shivers noticeably. "I imagine that to be terrifying as hell."

"I bet. When she was in the arena that day, I honestly couldn't imagine fighting her at full strength. I had rough time fighting her after she was fighting for three hours with limited sleep." He grunts quietly. "I couldn't imagine fighting her when she's in peak shape."

"Not very fun. She can take me, Brand, Yarick and probably half the guard before she gets overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed? Not tired?"

"Pfft, no. It takes a lot more than that to tire her out." She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively at him and he lets out a startled laugh.

"Oh."

"Enough about Amalas, ask me anything you want."

Din smiled. Gloxia wasn't so bad. Maybe...

_Maybe they could be friends._

* * *

They talked for hours and played cards until that got boring. But he learned a lot talking with her. She was the only child, despite her parents wanting more, but they were proud of Gloxia and were more focused on their little family than to expand it. She joined the academy a year after Yarick, and became Lieutenant the same time as Yarick was sworn in as Captain when Amalas became queen. They recounted stories of growing up, and surprisingly, they had more in common than they thought. So, he shared the cake with her, because it was from her mom and he would feel bad if he didn't, and she was kind enough to turn around while he ate. The first bite he took was enough to make him melt, and actually kind of moan, making her chuckle. He didn't even care about the sound, just entirely focused on the delectable food in his hand. What was with the food here and being so good?

"Oh, holy shit." He murmured, the cake simply melting in his mouth. Gloxia laughs as she pops a piece into her mouth. "Your mother is a fantastic cook."

"Isn't she?" She sighs happily as she chewed. "Mom always said she married her for her cooking."

"I'm... Not really a cook, so Grogu getting the food here is a really good thing."

"Let me guess, it was ration bars and packaged products all of the time?"

"Pretty much."

"Amalas lived off of that stuff for weeks one time. Came home like fifteen pounds lighter. Yarick just picked her up one time and threw her over his shoulder and said," she deepens her voice as best as she can, her accent becoming a bit muddled because of it, and she raises her index finger in a mocking fashion. "Until you gain your weight back, you're not allowed to go on another trip! That's unhealthy!" She dissolves into giggles, and even Grogu joins in with their laughter.

"Yeah, apparently I'm underweight for my age and I have a vitamin deficiency." She chokes before sputtering, then laughs, pointing at the armor on the stand nearby.

"It's like you never take off your armor or something."

"Pfft, I know, right?" He chuckles softly. "I'm really glad you don't mind me."

"Why would I mind you? You're pretty cool, Mando." He blushes slightly, and he's not sure why. Maybe because he's not complimented often or that no one has said that they really enjoyed his company before.

What was this yearning he had?

"Am I?"

"Hell yeah, I can see why Amalas likes you so much."

"Oh, pfft. Please." She laughs, reaching her arm behind her and gently swatting at him. Grogu immediately crawls after her hand, grabbing onto it, making her gasp.

"Ah! Oh, no! I'm being attacked!" She yelps, playfully falling forward into the comforter as Grogu crawls onto her back and starts playfully attacking her, squealing in delight. Din can't help the smile that spreads onto his face as they wrestle, and he pulls on his helmet just in case she turns around. He's not really sure why he's still pensive about letting people see his face considering five doctors and two nurses now knew what he looked like, but he did give his consent and if he hadn't, he's pretty sure Amalas would have killed him if he didn't let them try to save him. Maybe... Maybe soon.

Gloxia fell off the bed in their fit, taking Grogu with her. He jerked up to make sure she was okay, hurting himself in the process but their safety was more important than his body at that moment, ignoring the spike of pain and hoping she didn't just smoosh them both.

"Gloxia? Are you okay-"

Grogu is thrust up into the air, squealing in delight at the action, and he immediately relaxes in relief.

"We are okay!" He can't help but laugh. Gloxia pushes herself up off the floor, Grogu cooing and reaching up to pat her chin. "You okay, little one?" He looks up at her, waving his arms at her face.

"Patu." She raises her eyebrow, looking over at Din.

"Is that a yes or?" He chuckles, slowly sinking back into the pillows.

"He's fine." Oh, moving like that was not a good idea. He lets out a grunt as he shifts, Gloxia looking over at him in worry.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine, I just moved too fast when you fell off."

"Oh, sorry. I've taken worse falls than that." She sits down on the bed, sitting Grogu down and smiling softly at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she analyzes his helmet. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Me too. I'll... Feel even better after I apologize to Amalas."

"Oh, yeah, for sure." She says, nodding in agreement, before they looked up at the sound of a knock.

"Mando? I'm here to change your dressings." He tilted his head back into the headboard, wincing. The dressing changes were the least fun part about being injured, and he trusted the nurses that did them, but they were still honestly embarrassing nonetheless. He looks over at Gloxia, who raises her eyebrow.

"Would you mind staying for a bit? I know it's not something you probably want to see, but with the recent events..." She waves at him, smiling softly in understanding.

"It's good, I can stay."

* * *

Din got his casts off the next morning.

They did a few scans to ensure that the bacta had done its job, and he had no scarring or bruising. He was definitely sore, but when they had him stand for the first time with minimal support, he did wobble, but they were ecstatic that he was standing with pretty much no pain at all. They were going to let him rest for the rest of the day then the following day they would start his physical therapy. Even though he wasn't fighting or running for his life, the doctors still wanted to make sure he was okay for the Liberty Festival.

To say the least, the day the therapy did start was worse than torture or any battle wounds he's received.

Maybe he was just being dramatic or sensitive to the drugs or whatever, but he didn't like it, and he was happy that he had Grogu with Gloxia for the day.

"Alright, we're just going to go to the couch, and then back, okay?"

"Okay." Din breathes out, already out of breath from just adjusting to sit at the edge of the bed. Doctor Weir was his name, and they had gotten familiar with each other, considering he was taking care of Din and touching him in spots that he felt like Amalas should only touch, but in this moment, he did not like the doctor one bit.

"Do we have to do it today?" He asks shakily. Weir chuckles.

"The sooner we get you walking the better. I know it's difficult after an event like this, but you're a strong human. You'll be okay."

Din resists whining after that. Slowly, Weir grips his bicep and slowly, Din pushes off the bed in time with his lift. He wobbles slightly, vision spotting for a second as the dizziness hits him, and Weir pauses briefly at the groan he lets out.

"Are you alright?"

"Dizzy. Too fast." Weir apologizes, waiting for a minute so he can gain his bearings and then slowly, they take one step forward. He starts with his left leg, but when he takes a step with his right, he would've faceplanted into the ground if not for Weir's support.

"It's okay, it's okay. You're doing really good, just one step at a time. Give yourself time to reorient yourself before taking the step with your right leg." Din nods, taking his advice, and slowly, very slowly in fact, they manage a couple of more steps before they have to pause again.

It takes about five minutes to reach the couch, and when they finally do, Din collapses back into the cushions very happy and very relieved. His body aches and hurts and burns, and he suddenly feels the yearning for Amalas's hand running through his hair, whispering to him how great he was doing and that he was going to feel so much better after this. He's surprised he's not crying, and Maker, he feels like such a baby for acting like this. Maybe he had grown soft in his time here and the thought makes him shiver. Oh, geez. What was this place doing to him?

"Okay! That was great!" Weir says, pulling him out of his thoughts. He clasps his hands together, gesturing to the bed. "Now, we go back to the bed."

"I really hate you, Doc. In this moment, I really hate you." Weir simply laughs, making Din frown.

"You are worse than Her Majesty."

"Is that so?"

"Well, she's difficult, but not as difficult. She can be persuaded, but I do not think you can."

"Bribing me will not work. Years of being a bounty hunter training has implanted that in me." Weir chuckles, tipping his head in an understanding nod. "Speaking of the queen, um... Has she returned yet?"

"No, not yet. Lieutenant Athos said she and the Captain should be back in perhaps three days?" His eyebrows raise at that, and then he remembers he doesn't have his helmet on and quickly takes on a neutral look. Well, Gloxia did say four days when she visited him and brought him the cake, and two days have passed so far. They must have run into some problems with whatever they were doing. No wonder Yarick hadn't visited. Not that he minded, but the man's presence had become kind of comforting recently and he sort of missed it.

"So, if the Captain is gone, who is in charge?"

"The Council members, usually. They also work alongside Lieutenant Athos to ensure the safety and cooperation of the people. I try not to get involved with politics, only medicine."

"That's understandable." Weir nods before gesturing for him to stand, receiving a glare in response.

"Okay, back up. Let's go."

Just kill him at this point.

* * *

Okay, maybe he was being a _bit_ overdramatic. Thankfully, the pain of walking subsided after a day. He was able to walk to the fresher, the couch and to the balcony for fresh air (finally!) and was very happy to be moving around again. Then they started with short walks up and down the hallway, chatting all the more so. It was nice getting to know more and more about their planet, culture and people from someone on a more personal level, and he enjoyed hearing about the stories that the doctor had about past Liberty Festivals, Amalas's coronation, and just funny instances that have happened that he was able to witness. Din honestly enjoyed it, and he wanted to know more and more.

And then, he was taking a small walk through the hallways when he saw Yarick at the end of it, handing off a bag to another guard, and looking absolutely exhausted. His helmet was tucked under his arms, his dreads falling down his back, and Din can see the fatigue in his movements. 

"Yarick!" The captain perks up at the sound of his voice and turns around, raising his eyebrows at Din in surprise.

"Well, look at this! Last time I saw you you were bedridden and looking like death." Din laughs, leaning against the wall slightly for a small rest. Yarick meets him where he's at, gently patting his shoulder comfortingly. "How are you feeling?"

"Hell of a lot better than I did when I woke up. Been a little sore, but I feel good. Docs have been giving me some infused gummies or something to help with any small pain flare ups I might have."

"Ah, you got the good stuff." Yarick says, chuckling. "I like those gummies. Bacta may be nice for quick healing, but larger injuries it's nice to have the infused stuff." He leans his back against the wall, and Din knows that feeling. He's been in that situation where he feels ready to fall asleep at any given chance, especially after a rough bounty or fight.

"When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago. Had to meet with Gloxia and Brand, but thankfully, Amalas gave me the next couple of days off to recover." Only then when he says that does Din notice the bruises and cuts he has. His forearm is wrapped in bandages and he smelled like antiseptic, and he had noticed he was walking with a slight limp but paid no attention to it. Din swallows slightly at the mention of Amalas, nodding.

"I see. What were you guys doing?"

"Imperial sightings in the system, looking for the person who killed Moff Gideon most likely. Oh, and we also found the assassin." He freezes, letting that process before speaking. Did he just really say that?

"You did?"

"Yes. He was massive, so it's no wonder that you and Griselle had a hard time fighting back. And Griselle... Well, compared to that beast, I'm surprised Griselle lived."

"Were you able to capture him?" Yarick raises his eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Do you think Amalas really would have allowed him to live after what he put not only Griselle, but you through as well?"

Din gulps. The memory of Amalas pounding down on his helmet after whatever dream she had that day when they sparred comes to mind, and he shivers slightly. He knows Yarick can't see his face, but it doesn't stop the worry that creeps onto it. He looks down at his feet, leaning his shoulder against the wall as the thought processes in his head.

After a few minutes of silence, he feels Yarick put his hand on his shoulder, his voice quiet and gentle and soft. Distantly, he wonders how it feels to be hugged by the large man. Maybe like Paz, but softer?

"You should go talk to her."

"She doesn't want to see me."

"I promise you she probably does. She's had a rough few weeks, and it's time to mend your relationship."

"If there was one in the first place."

"Mando, with how often you guys were spending time together before your attack, and the way you were immersing yourself into politics and everything that Amalas was involved in was a clear indicator of how close you guys have become. I know that she was sleeping in your room after that day." Din's body burns at that. "Not only that, but you need to tell her about the dream that the Force sent you. Just like she was honest about when she was on Sorgus when you were a boy, you need to be honest with how close and personal you were." He gently shakes him by his shoulder. "You guys are close, and your kid loves her. Repair your relationship on your own, or I will lock you two in a closet for hours until you two talk to each other."

"Couldn't she just... use the Force to push it?"

"Not the point, Mando."

"Okay, okay! What is with you and Gloxia and giving me relationship advice?" Yarick laughs, a booming noise, but it's warm and it makes Din feel warm and happy and comforted, and Din hopes they can get back to their normal practice sessions soon. The Liberty Festival was fast approaching, and if his plan didn't work out...

"Because we have known Amalas our whole lives." He pats him gently. "Just go talk to her. It'll be fine." Din smiles, then gently reaches up and pats Yarick's hand in thanks.

"Thank you." He starts walking down the hallway before stopping, grimacing that he didn't ask for directions and turning around, raising his finger.

"She's in her study, fifth floor, third door to your right." He nods and starts walking again before stopping once more, turning around to look at Yarick.

"Yarick?" The captain looks up from his vambrace, raising his eyebrow.

"What's up?"

"You don't have to call me Mando. It's... It's Din." He's sure that Yarick already knows that, since Amalas said his name when they landed a few weeks ago, but he figures he might formally introduce himself. At least attempt at opening up to them more. After all, the doctors and nurses already knew his face and his name, but were still respectful and continued to call him Mando. But this... This felt right.

Yarick smiles softly at him, crossing his arms as he nods at him.

"Good night, Din."

* * *

Amalas was in her study just like Yarick said, moving around the large room, putting away older books, sliding holos into drawers, or gathering up papers. The double doors directly faced her desk across the room in the middle of it, a large, gorgeous fireplace lit up behind it. There's a couple of chairs in front of the desk for sitting, a small double couch a few feet away with a table, and bookshelves on three of the walls. The wall behind her desk has the fireplace, then a few feet next to it are double doors leading out onto a balcony, but thick curtains cover them, blocking out any light. She has a small lamp on her desk that lights up the top, and the royal crest is engraved in gold right in the middle of the desk's structure.

She looks tired. Probably more tired than he was after climbing the stairs, because that's something Weir hadn't let him do yet. Her hair is falling into her face from the bun she has it in, and she's dressed in a simple blue wrap top with black pants, and he can see bruises and scrapes and cuts on her arms and face. Then he notices her hands, moving and flipping through pages, and once again, they're wrapped in white bandages, but this time it looks like someone did the bandages for her instead of her doing it herself. He wonders what she did to get her hands wrapped like that again, but puts it out of his mind as he struggles to think of something to say, standing in the doorway like an awkward statue.

Her hands pause briefly before resuming their movements but she doesn't look up, even though he knows she sensed him in the doorway, maybe even sensed him when he reached the top of the stairs. 

"I see you are feeling better."

He actually flinches at the tone: terse and short, her accent sharp, and straight to the point. Oh, he fucked up so bad.

"Yeah, uh, thanks to the bacta. Feel kind of okay, too."

"That is good."

"How was your trip?"

"Fine."

Din can't help but frown, his soul crushing a bit. Shit, would she even forgive him? After he yelled at her to get away from him? After how he reacted with the holos?

He steps in fully before turning, shutting both doors behind him before turning back around and looking back at her. She's still sorting through the paperwork, never once even glancing up at him. Din slowly steps forward, cautious, as if approaching an animal caught in a trap.

"Amalas." She doesn't look up. He frowns, pausing, before reaching up and slowly taking off his helmet, slightly bending and letting it sit on the ground with a soft thud. He tries again, this time his voice more stern and hard.

"Amalas. Look at me." Her hands pause, before they lay the papers back down, and she presses her hands flat on the surface, finally lifting her head to look at him. Her eyes seem to glow with the embers of the fire, shadows dancing across her face.

"What?"

"Can we talk?"

"What is there to talk about, Din? Nothing, that's what."

"No, there is a lot we need to talk about. You can't just shut me out like this-"

"I believe you said to get away from you, so that is what I am doing. I am staying away from you." His shoulders slump, his face dropping as she throws his words back at him. He deserves that, though, but it still doesn't make the hurt subside. No, it just makes it increase.

"Amalas, please, just... Listen to what I have to say." She stands up straight, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"No, Din. I have been spoken over far too many times in my life, so I will speak for once." He clamps his mouth shut, nodding weakly. Oh, here it comes. She's gonna kill him. Either she's going to break his neck with the Force or she's going to stab him with a pen. Either way, he's dead. The next words out of her mouth, however, has him suddenly dizzy and sick.

"I believe that it would be best to discontinue our relationship."


	18. Chapter 18

Din couldn't help but stumble back into the door as he processes the sentence, as if he had been hit hard, the words making him sick to his stomach. Amalas remains still, her arms still crossed as she watches him with a blank and shadowed expression. He stares at her, vision growing blurry with the tears that started to well up in his eyes. He's really hoping that she would say that she's kidding, to mess with him to get him back for how he treated her, but as he stares at her, he realizes that she's serious.

"W-Why... Why would you say something like that?"

"Because it is true and I think it's for the best." For the best? _For the best?_

His body trembles, and he can feel his heart pounding hard, and distantly, he hopes he doesn't have another cardiac event, but that was the least of his concerns. He just wanted to know what the hell was going through her head right now.

"What? No, it's not for the best!" His voice is trembling, and he's not holding back any emotion that he's feeling. Din tries to figure out how to open their bond, considering he's not Force whatever, but he opens his mind to her. He knows he fucked up, big time at that, but to suggest something like this? He had to try.

_Din had to try._

"Din, we may have slept with each other, and slept together, and we may have some feelings for each other but it's clear that I have broken your trust and I know I will not be able to win it back-"

"How could you say those things without even knowing what I want to say first!?" She purses her lips, her hands around her biceps tightening bit. "Amalas, please just listen to what I have to say. If you don't forgive me, then fine. I... I will leave Grogu here with you so he can be trained and raised with you, and I'll leave. But just listen to what I have to say. _Please,_ Amalas." She stares at him, not moving a muscle as she thinks about it, before slowly nodding her head toward him.

"Go on." Relief floods him, and he pushes himself off the door, clenching his fists as he stands as tall as possible, his heart pounding against his chest.

"I know I hurt you. I know that and I'm ashamed of it. You don't deserve to be treated that way, not after everything you have done for me and Grogu. I'm sorry I've been two sided and unresponsive, and I know this courting thing hasn't exactly gone the way we want it to because of the inexperience. But fuck, Amalas, do you realize what you're doing to me? How you've been making me change and think about everything in my life? Never before have I ever thought about relationships, or children, or-or settling down for that matter! My whole life has been kill or be killed, and then I find Grogu, a kid who has weird ass powers where he can move things with his hands and mind, I find out the life I had been living is a whole lie and some twisted version of the Creed that was ingrained in me since I was a child by a woman who turns out to be your fucking aunt and who served during the time of the Clone Wars and the Purge, and then I find out more and more about these-these wizards who can move objects with their minds," he gestures at her for the point, "and the I meet you and you change everything! For fuck's sake, Amalas, you took my virginity the first night I was here!"

At that, her lips twitch, her head slightly tilting to the left in what he hopes is agreement. He doesn't even think about his gestures, but his index fingers press against his thumbs as he talks, his arms moving with words that needed punctuation. 

"I have been having the worst crisis in my entire existence. I have been rethinking everything that I have believed in my life, and you're the reason behind it. I want to be better for Grogu, for myself, and I realized I want to be better for you. You're intelligent, cunning, incredibly strong, mentally and physically, resilient, sweet and kind and considerate and I could go on and on about all of the reasons that I'm falling in love with you for!"

Amalas blinks, stunned, her mouth parting but no words coming out.

He stares, throat suddenly very dry, and extremely horrified at the declaration.

"You... You are falling in love with me?"

"Oh, for the love of- Yes! Okay?! I am falling in love with you and it hurts and it feels good all at the same time!"

"Din..."

"I know it doesn't change anything that happened recently, and I feel like a fucking idiot for yelling at you, and I want to make things right if you let me." He doesn't realize he's moving as he talks, the distance between them growing shorter and shorter as he blabbers on. "Seeing you like that was heartbreaking, and I feel awful for how I treated you, the day I got attacked and the day I woke up. I know you were being honest, I should not have lashed out like that, and you must hate me and never want to see me again and I get it. I absolutely get it."

He's in front of her before he can even register it, and Amalas slightly backs up, like it's a natural reflex which it probably is, making him stop where he is, wringing his hands together nervously. He's not sure what to do with his hands because he desperately wants to touch her and wrap her up in a hug and kiss her and make sure she's taken care of.

"I understand you never wanting to talk to me again, or see me again. But Amalas, I want to make things right. Please." Now that he's just a few feet away from her, he can see the smaller injuries, like the split on her lower lip, the yellowish bruise on her left cheekbone, a bandage on her forehead. The bruise makes the marking on her cheek look faded, the darker yellow almost covering it completely. The flames illuminate her hair, almost making it glow, and her eyes flick across his face, a small furrow to her eyebrow. They stand there for a minute in silence before he takes a tentative step forward, reaching up slowly and sliding his hand along her neck, his thumb brushing her jawline, noticing the bruise on her lower jaw and almost frowning at it, before he slowly lifts it and cups her cheek. She takes a sharp inhale of breath, her lip quivering as her eyes become glossy. She seems startled at the touch yet relieved and he feels so horrible for making her suffer.

"Din, I..." Then she sags, no fight left in her, the tension leaking out of her body and pooling at her feet. She leans her head into his touch as he strokes her face soothingly, waiting patiently while she thinks it over.

"It's not going to be easy." She finally says, her voice no more than a breathless whisper.

"I know. But I want to try again. For your sake, and for Grogu's. I want to be better." Amalas's eyes flutter shut, and she breathes out a slow sigh, orienting herself before reaching up and laying her hand on his chest.

"I want to be better, too. And... And I am sorry about... About ever suggesting that, and..." She becomes choked as her head tilts down, her swallow audible as she forces the sob down. "I was so miserable. I couldn't reach out to you through the Force because you were blocked off completely, and I..." A tear falls and he immediately swipes it up with his thumb, shaking his head before wrapping her up in a hug. The breath she releases is audible, and he can feel her body shudder against his, her face burying into the crook of his neck as her arms wrap around his neck. He nuzzles her neck, sighing softly as her scent envelops his nose. She smells like the bath oils from her room and healing ointment, but it just makes him all the more so relaxed. Relief floods him as the situation finally quells, and he really hopes this is the last of their problems. He rubs her back lightly, not quite sure what other kind of injuries she may have, so he's mindful of his touch. Right now, he's just so happy that he's holding her in his arms again.

They stand there for a while like that. He can hear the crackling of the flames, but he can also hear rain pattering against the balcony. Huh. He didn't even know there was another storm, but then again, he's been inside for a week and a half.

"Din?"

"Yes?"

"I really... I really am sorry. I... I just... I assumed that is what you would want, and I know it was a wrongful assumption, but I was hurt and upset by your reaction. I was guilt ridden and struggling to find a way to tell you, and I knew I should have waited until you were better, and I... I should have known you would react that way, but it still hurt me." Her fists tighten in his shirt. "I am so sorry, Din. I am so, so, so sorry. I want to be better for you, I do, but it is hard to open up to someone after so many years alone. And I know I just threw myself at you when we first met and then you were suddenly thrown into this new place and everything and-and-"

"Hey." He cuts her off gently, pulling back a bit and reaching, cupping her uninjured cheek to stroke it soothingly. She doesn't meet his eyes and he frowns. "Amalas, please look at me." Slowly, she lifts her head from being buried in his shirt, her eyes glossy with tears.

"I am so sorry." She whispers and he presses his lips to her forehead, holding her close. He knows nothing he can say will soothe her, but he can try.

"Let's start over." He murmurs. "Everything, we start over and do it the right way."

"What do you mean?"

"For one thing," he chuckles. "We go slow, like we said in the beginning. And we court each other properly. With open communication and talks, and no more secrets."

"No more secrets." She confirms, nodding, moving her hand from where it was fisting his shirt to his cheek. "Yarick... Told me, and you were going to bring this up, too, I believe, the day I made the announcement. He said you had a dream?"

"Oh, right." He gulps. He had totally forgotten about the dream, thanks to all of the events that have occurred lately. "The night after we spent the day together, I... I had a dream about... About you. And Yarick thinks it was from the Force, but... It was about you, and well, your life, basically." She tilts her head, slightly pulling away in question.

"My life?"

"Yes. From the moment you were found by your grandparents, all the way up when you were laying in bed that night. It... It all played out in my head like a recording. And I was hesitant to tell you because it was really personal and I didn't know if you would be mad at me or not. It was difficult trying to think of a way to tell you, and then..." He gestures to himself. "Then I saw those reports of yours and..." He sighs, looking down with shame. "I'm sorry, Amalas. It was really personal for you and it felt like I touched a part of your soul that wasn't meant to be touched."

Din is met with silence for a few seconds and his thoughts begin to spiral, before she reaches up and cups his face, his gaze shooting up at her. Her facial expression is serious and firm, and he blinks in surprise. She's not mad?

"The Force sent you that dream? Are you sure?"

"I think so? I'm not entirely sure. I mean, it could be like the first dream I had." He blushes slightly, remembering how hot and bothered he'd been that morning. Amalas stares at him, her eyes flicking over his face before she lets out a shaky laugh.

"Oh, boy..."

"What?"

"I will have to meditate on it, but... It sounds like the Force was trying to ensure the proper care of me."

"What do you mean?"

"I know I have hardly talked about my time during the Clone Wars and everything after that, so I believe it was the Force's way of basically telling you everything you needed to know about me, that way I could maybe be taken care of and treated properly." She shrugs as he stares blankly at her. "Like I said, I will have to meditate on it." Din laughs softly.

"So you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know... With everything..."

"We are trying again, and that is what matters." She gently runs her shorter nails down his stubble, and now that the adrenaline from everything earlier is wearing off, he can see the exhaustion from before begin to creep back into her face. He turns his head and kisses the bandaged hand gently.

"Would it... Would it be too much to ask if you would like to sleep with me tonight?" He asks quietly. "Grogu would be really happy, and... And I would, too." She blinks up at him.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I need to shower. I only took a sonic when we got back and I feel bleh-"

"I have a shower." He brings his hand up to cup her hand that was still on his cheek, smiling softly at her. "Can I treat you again?"

"I... Are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"I need clothes-"

"You can borrow some of mine." Din isn't sure where all this straightforwardness has come from, but he likes it, because it makes her blush and get shy and it's different from the outgoing and blunt woman he knew. He loved both of these sides of her, how she could let her guard down for someone like him. And it made her all the more so attractive and amazing.

"Okay."

* * *

Din didn't let go of Amalas's hand the whole way back to his room.

Grogu squealed so loud when he saw Amalas that Din was worried he might've woken up the rest of the floor. The caretaker flushed red when she saw Amalas sort of hiding behind Din, but for some reason, Din felt absolutely unashamed as he thanked the caretaker. Her eyes were as wide as spoons as they jumped in between the two and he could feel the heat radiating off of Amalas's body from the embarrassment and shyness she was feeling. Thankfully, the caretaker didn't say a word as she left, and all Amalas could do was hope to the Force that the caretaker wouldn't say anything.

Grogu had already been fed and bathed, so while Amalas took a shower, Din got Grogu to sleep and then straightened out the room. He found a sleep shirt and some shorts that he figured would be baggy but fit her, and a smaller pair of underwear, just in case, then dug around to find the med-pack he had seen while checking out the room the other day. He found it finally, and a few minutes later, he heard the shower shut off, so he lightly knocked on the door, the clothes in hand.

"Hey, I found some clothes for you." It took a couple of minutes before the door opened and she slid her hand through the crack. He handed them to her, noticing the red gashes on her knuckles, biting back a sigh, and then he waited patiently until she opened the door fully, a light pink blush on her face.

To be honest, seeing her in his clothes was... Honestly adorable. But he doesn't dwell on it for too long.

Din smiles dumbly, her hair still damp from her shower, her curls flat and laying on her shoulders and back.

"I, uh... I used your stuff, if you, um, do not mind..." She fiddles with the shirt's hem, her hands shaking, her eyes downcast. He knows that they must be hurting now that the adrenaline has worn off, and he winces internally at the thought. 

"That's fine." He says, standing and grabbing the med-pack before ushering her back inside the bathroom. He sets the med-pack down on the counter top, opening it and rummaging through it when he finds a roll of bandages and some bacta ointment.

"How come you didn't get the bacta treatment?"

"There are other people that need it more."

Din gives her a look of disbelief at that, and he holds back the thought that comes to mind, lifting one of her hands up gently to look at the damage. It's worse than the injuries she had when she was punching him during their spar, and he furrows his eyebrows.

"How the hell are these worse than the last ones?"

"Um... Because I wasn't wearing any gloves...?" He freezes, slowly lifting his gaze from her hand to her face, and she tries a smile but it's shaky and forced.

"You were bare handed when you were fighting?"

"Yes?"

"Who the hell were you fighting? A rock?"

"He was ten feet tall, Din. And a Dathomirian."

"I haven't seen one of those since the guild days."

"Mm. He was an enhanced one, probably made that way by the Nightsisters." He's not even going to ask about that, because that's probably a whole other story for another day.

"Is that where you got the other injuries, too?"

"Yes."

"Hm."

"What?"

"Nothing. What were you and Yarick investigating?"

"A few Imperials were lurking around the system, probably looking for the one who killed one of their Moffs. They are taken care of though, so no more worrying about that. Same with the assassin." He glances up at her briefly before reaching to pick up the ointment tub. He unscrews the lid and then takes a swab and drags it through, getting a good coat before setting it back down.

"What about you? Are you healing okay?"

"Yeah, the doctors say that I should be able to return to normal activity soon. One more treatment and I should be okay, but they still want me to take it easy, especially after the surgery I had."

"Ah, makes sense."

"Mhm." He gently slides the swab over her knuckles and she flinches slightly before inhaling lightly. "So the threats are over?"

"Yes, should be. Rowan is dead and so is the assassin."

"Why... Why did Rowan want Griselle dead? I get why he didn't like me, but..."

"Upon further investigation, we searched his house, and found that he was working for the Empire. How he kept it secret, I am not sure. Anyhow, we could not find the pages-ow-but we did find out a lot of shit he was hiding." She hisses quietly as he rolls the swab a little harder to make sure the ointment gets deeper into the cuts before continuing. "Because of Griselle's involvement with the history book, she was basically collateral." He scoffs.

"Glad you killed him, then." She blinks, almost surprised he knew that.

"Who told you that?"

"Gloxia did. She came by a few days ago and brought me _uj'alayi_ that Gladys made. She filled me in on everything that happened while I was out." Din lets go of her hand while she mulls it over, unwrapping the bandages. She lifts her hand and spreads her fingers as much as possible, and he slowly but carefully begins to rewrap her injuries.

"Din?"

"Yes?"

"Are... Are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... Are you sure that this is absolutely what you want? To court me? To love me?" Din lifts his head, his movements pausing as he stares at her. She stares back, waiting patiently, her eyes baring into his, unwavering.

"More than anything, Amalas. We will... We will work things out. Communication is the most important thing, right? Just like during sex." She smiles softly, looking down at their hands as he finishes wrapping up the first hand.

It's quiet after that except for the occasional whimper or hiss out of Amalas, but then he finishes up and she looks good. He cleans up the med-pack then gently guides her into the room, the lighting having gone dim since it didn't sense any movement. It's still raining outside, but it's not like the detrimental storm that occurred a couple of weeks ago.

"Get in bed, I'm going to take a small shower, too, okay?" She nods, immediately crawling onto the bed and getting settled under the covers, watching him walk back into the fresher.

He makes the shower as quick as he can with the soreness in his body still, but he's ever so grateful for bacta and its properties. When he comes out of the fresher, his heart melts and puddles at his feet at the sight. She's holding onto one of his pillows like it's him, and she fell asleep, which was to be expected after what she had been through. Din gets dressed and then slowly crawls in next to her, carefully adjusting the covers so they're over them both, before sliding his arm under the pillow she was sleeping with, and wrapping an arm around her waist to bring her back against his chest. She sighs in her sleep and he kisses the back of her head in comfort. Then he quickly checks on Grogu, then slowly relaxes into the bed and drifts off, her body warmth a comforting feeling against his own.

They'd be okay. He just knew it.


	19. "I'm going to be a father!"

When Din woke up the next morning, he immediately squeezed Amalas, pure happiness flooding his system immediately when he takes in her curls that lay in front of his face. Damn, had they been spooning all night? That was some good sleep if they had pretty much never moved from the positions they had fallen asleep in. He nuzzled his nose into her neck, sighing softly at the scent of his shampoo and body wash, and it made him pull her even closer. Amalas lets out a soft, content sigh and he loves it and wants to make sure that she sleeps like this for many more nights to come. He kisses the side of her neck before slowly pulling away. She's still passed out, and he's not wanting to wake her up just yet. She needs the sleep after what she's been through, and he's not about to disturb it.

Din rolls to the side, sitting on the side of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sighs sleepily. Although he really would like to sleep in, he wanted to get the check in with his doctor done with, and with maybe a little under two weeks left until the Liberty Festival, he had to get the dance perfected if his plan was going to work out. Yarick did say he had a few days off, and he knew Amalas would be busy with getting caught up with everything that went on while she was gone, and if the people wanted her input in the preparations, she would be out of the palace a lot more, so it would be perfect to resume their lessons. But only if Yarick wanted to, that is. He wouldn't push the other man into something he didn't want to do, but it was worth asking.

Din quickly went to the fresher, slightly straightening up before stepping back out and going over to the balcony doors. The balcony's landing is wet, and he can see the area below still glistening with puddles from the rain from last night. There are hardly clouds in the sky as the suns wake up, rays casting over the area that he can overlook from his room. He slides open the door quietly to let some fresh air into the room, leaving just a crack, inhaling the cool, damp morning air happily. Maker, it felt so nice to stand again...

He hears Amalas sigh softly and turns his body sideways to look over at her, smiling. Her body stretches out good and long, and then she sighs once more before rolling onto her back, rubbing her eyes as she looks up at the canopy of the bed. He smiles as he watches her, his heart fluttering in a good way at the sight. She looks next to her before lifting her head, her eyes wide with almost panic before she registers him, and a sleepy yet happy smile comes to his face.

"G'morning..." She says quietly, her voice sleepy and hoarse, her accent not quite as prominent when she's like this, unlike when she's awake.

"Morning." Din greets quietly, before walking back over to the bed, crawling onto the mattress until he reaches her, settling on his elbows before lowering his head down onto her belly. She combs hard fingers through his hair and his eyes shut in bliss, a content sigh passing through his lips. Her fingers catch some tangles in his hair, but she gently wiggles her fingers enough where they detangle.

"How did you sleep?" She asks as she runs her fingers through his hair. He shuts his eyes as he sighs, relaxing against her.

"I slept really good. How about you?"

"Mmm, I slept... I slept fantastically. You are a very good cuddler."

"Despite me being underweight?" She snorts a bit, raising an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

"Are you still on that?"

"Yes." She laughs quietly, shaking her head. "What? I didn't know I was underweight, or that I apparently have a vitamin deficiency. Forgive me if I'm still on that." She's still shaking her head, a smile on her lips.

"You are a weird man."

"Mhm." She smiles at him, her eyes bright and happy, and he's so happy that the light has returned that he nuzzles his face into her belly, making her laugh softly, her hands gripping his curls playfully to stop him. "I am... I'm really happy, Amalas. I know... I know it's going to take a while for either of us to trust each other again, but... I'm happy we're trying again." Amalas slides her hand down to his cheek, her smile full of warmth. He'll never get tired of that look, and he wants it for... Well, forever.

"Me too." He smiles, her eyes glowing like gems...

Which reminds him!

"Oh!" He sits up, leaning over her to the bedside table on the left, her eyes tracking him as he leans over her. He pulls out the drawer and finds the jewelry box, shutting the drawer before leaning back on his heels, presenting it to her.

"I meant to give this to you earlier, but with everything that has gone on..." She takes it, looking surprised and skeptical and he chuckles, beaming at her. "Just open it." She opens it and her face lights up and softens all at once and he fidgets.

"Do you like them? When Yarick took me to the square, we visited Tania, and she told me to choose something on the house." She slides her fingers down the chains, a smile coming to her face as she takes in the fine craft. He fidgets shyly. "Do you like them?" He repeats, quieter and shier than he'd ever felt in his life.

"I love it." She whispers before reaching and cupping his face, pulling him in for the most tender kiss he's ever gotten from her. He melts into her, happily kissing back before a coo breaks them apart. They look over to see Grogu staring up at them curiously, and their faces flush simultaneously.

"M-Morning, buddy." Din says, embarrassed and a little upset that they got interrupted. Grogu looks in between them for a minute before perking up, and he giggles as he reaches up. Amalas shuts the jewelry box and then picks him up out of the cradle, holding him close as Din looks at both of them with... Well, with adoration.

"I must prepare the speech for tomorrow." She says thoughtfully, making him tilt his head at her in question. That was sudden but she was probably trying to make conversation a bit. He could understand that.

"What do you mean? What speech?"

"To tell the people that the threats are gone and the peace has returned, and to announce that Griselle is still alive."

"Do you think that's the best idea?"

"What? Rowan is dead, and so is the assassin. Prisca is being held for questioning while we also investigate her involvement, and then we will decide her punishment."

"Oh. Makes sense."

"I always make sense." She replies, making his eyebrows arch high. "Which brings me to another thought I have."

"What's that?"

"What do you think about inviting your friends to the festival?" At that, he furrows his eyebrows instead, leaning back from her slightly. Did she mean Cara, Boba and Fennec? Sure, he considered Cara as a friend, but Boba and Fennec? Really?

"What friends?" She snorts, rolling her eyes. _Did he really just say that?_ She thinks, clenching her teeth slightly. He couldn't be that oblivious, right? He must realize that though people may fear him, they also like him, especially her people, like Yarick and Gloxia. But surely he couldn't be _that_ oblivious. She knew that Boba was the kind to pay back debts that he found worthy enough, and Fennec? The mercenary that worked for the Hutts and other syndicates? Shit, Din must really be blind to not see that these people considered him as an ally.

"Fett, Fennec, Cara, I mean, even that dude from your guild. Karga, right? I say invite them."

"But they're outsiders..."

"And? I am inviting my aunt and some of her friends, why not you do the same?" He fidgets slightly. While it's a nice offer, he couldn't really imagine them partying with everyone here. Don't get him wrong, he wouldn't doubt they would have fun, but he's not exactly sure if Fett and Shand are the kind of people to like parties. Maybe Cobb would, but...

"I-I don't know, Amalas. They're not exactly the... The partying type."

"Pfft. Yes, they are, and I have witnessed it. Boba once got so drunk he was hanging from the ceiling as a dare years ago, and I know Fennec often indulges, too, from what I have heard." She swats at him slightly. "Just think about it, I think they are good for you." He scoffs.

"Two bounty hunters, a marshal of the New Republic and a guild magistrate. Sure, good for me." She smiles, the wrinkles around her eyes appearing and showing up quite nicely. She eyes him carefully for a minute before speaking again.

"They would not have risked their lives for you or Grogu if they were not your friends, Din. They may have owed you debts in the past, but I do believe they are good for you. Boba and Fennec are good people, depsite their histories, but you all get along quite well." How could a woman who fights for good see good in two former mercenaries who probably have a higher count than he does? Okay, well, he considered Cara and Greef as his friends, but Boba and Fennec? He wasn't really sure where to stand on that one. And with how she analyzes them? She reaches and takes his hand, smiling softly at him. "Just think about it and let me know. And if you think of anybody else, just let me know."

"Are you sure it would be okay for them to come? Because I don't want anything happening, and if your people aren't welcome to the idea..."

"They love Bo-Katan, considering she's my aunt, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind a few new faces either." He softens at that. They would be quite fun if they let loose...

"Are you sure the people would be okay with it?"

"Yes, of course." She leans forward to gently pat his thigh before rubbing it. "I am sure they would be welcoming to them just as they have been welcoming to you." He smiles softly at her, happy and content. She wasn't wrong; the people had been more than welcoming, save for Rowan, since he tried to kill him, but otherwise, it was... This planet...

Din chews his lip nervously.

"I'll... I'll think about it, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you... Do you want to take a shower with me?" Amalas flushes slightly before nodding, gently laying Grogu back down on the pillows. He'd fallen back asleep while they were talking, it looked like. Not that he minded, just gave them more time alone. He let out a quiet sigh in his sleep at the change in hold, but then curled up into the pillow happily.

Din leads her into the fresher and starts the water, testing it before recoiling his hand at the cold water, before turning around just in time to see her reach for his night shirt to take it off, the pants already off.

Okay, yes, he saw her in his clothes last night, but he was too focused on her wounds to really notice. And yeah, they were adorable last night, but now, right now... Right now she looked...

"Wait." She stops her hands, looking up at him and blinking at him quizzically.

"What? Oh, do you want to do my hands again?"

"No."

"The bandages will get ruined with the water-"

"You look good like this."

Amalas freezes, blinking at him before looking down at herself. What did he- _Oh, his shirt._ She realizes, gulping quietly to herself. She hears him release a shuddered breath and glances up to see his fists clenching nervously at his sides. He seems like he's trying to control himself, and she wants nothing more for him to lose that control. For a second, she's blank before a plan forms in her head, and she leans her hips backwards against the sink's counter, looking up at him teasingly as she rubs her legs together. She leans her hands against the counter top as well, the fabric sliding up as she leans back.

"I look good, huh?" She muses, noticing the dark look that clouds his eyes as he takes her in. The fabric lays around her breasts, showing off the perky mounds, her nipples pebbling to peek through, and lays on her thighs, showing off the creamy expanse of her legs, only broken by the golden markings swirling down her legs.

"You like seeing me wear your clothes, Din?" She asks, voice low and sultry, inviting, and she can see the shiver that runs up his spine. "Hmm? Makes me yours, does it not?"

"Amalas..." He says, a warning tone to his voice. He's not sure where it's coming from, but she's treading in dangerous territory, and yet he believes that she might like treading in dangerous territory. She is a Jedi, after all. Dangerous territory was probably in the job description.

Amalas pushes herself off from the counter and slowly saunters over to him. She slides the flat of her palms up from his pecs to his shoulders, toying with his long curls at the base of his neck. Din realizes that he really needs a haircut, but her fingers playing with his hair feels so nice...

"What? What will you do to me if you get pushed enough, hm?" She murmurs, her fingers that weren't in his hair fiddling with the collar of his sleep shirt, and he lets out a shaky breath.

"A-Are you sure you want to do it...? This fast?"

" _Cyare_ , I have not touched myself ever since that day..." He swallows thickly. That long ago? Really? "What about you?"

"Me n-neither." Maker, why is he so nervous all of a sudden? What happened to his control when he had her for that one day? Was it because of all of the emotions from last night? She cups his cheeks, her gaze growing soft.

"We don't have to if you don't feel up for it."

"No, it's just..." He reaches up, laying his hands over hers, sighing softly. "Are sure you want this?" The shower is warm now, the bathroom beginning to steam with the heat.

"Yes, I am sure. But I want to make sure you want this as well."

Din lets out a shaky breath, her fingertips slightly rough from her travels. But they feel good against his stubble, and he relaxes into her touch, leaning his head into her palm on the right happily.

"I want this."

"Then take off your clothes." She purrs, her accent dripping over him like honey and everything sticky and sweet, and he immediately obeys, shedding off the fabric at the same time as she undresses. Once the shirt is over her head, he lets out a soft noise of panic when he sees the bandages wrapped around her ribs, under her breasts. She has several more smaller bruises that look almost healed across her stomach and hips with smaller cuts spanning over her legs. The bruises and cuts were fine, but the bandages were another thing.

"Amalas, you didn't tell me you had these!" He slides his fingers over the bandages worriedly, looking up at her as she blushes.

"I feel fine, Din. I promise." He bites back a retort, crossing his arms. "Din." She's pouting, looking up at him with those beautiful blue eyes that would make anyone fall for it, and he's struggling to resist falling.

"Din," she cups his face, smiling. "I have had injuries far worse than this. Almost to the edge of death kind of injuries. This is nothing. Just a couple of fractured ribs, that's all."

" _Fractured_?"

"They are already healing! I hardly feel a thing." He narrows his eyes at her. "Okay, okay. We will not do anything strenuous until we are both cleared, how about that?" He relaxes his shoulders and nods, sidestepping for her to walk ahead, shaking his head in amusement at her as she passes with a cheeky smile.

For a minute, they just soak and relax under the hot water, enjoying the warmth and feel. One thing he was never used to on the Razor Crest was the cold water; he always considered warm water as a luxury for those with money so he always toughed it out on the ship.

And now, he was living in a palace on a planet that was thought to be destroyed centuries ago, while courting a beautiful, powerful Jedi Queen, and raising a tiny green child that he adored. Maker, what had his life come to?

"What are you thinking about?" He turns his head to Amalas, who raises an eyebrow as she squeezes some shampoo into her hand.

"Oh, uh, just... Thinking."

"About?"

"All of the stuff that has happened ever since I took that bounty." She chuckles, rotating her finger and he turns around so his back is facing her, and she reaches up easily to start working the shampoo into his hair. He melts under the relaxing, amazing touch, his eyes shutting as she massages his scalp. Her hands move expertly, and his head tilts back for better access, making her smile.

"You have healed really good."

"Bacta." He mumbles quietly, too much in pleasure to actually produce a longer sentence. Her hands are amazing; the fact that they can beat someone to death in several punches, and then do these soft and caring touches was incredible. He lets out a quiet moan as her thumbs gently massage the soft spot on his scalp, his back arching slightly.

"N-Need a h-haircut..." He manages out thoughtfully, his voice broken. Amalas smiles, sighing softly as she listens to his quiet noises of content. His hair was long, having grown since the first time she had seen him without his helmet that night in the springs. Well, when you wear a helmet all the time, she guessed he wouldn't really care about it being cut or not, but she supposed that was changing now.

She guides him under the water to wash it all out, then leans in close, ghosting her breath over his ear as she slides her fingers through the wet curls at his nape.

"I like it like this." She murmurs and he shivers against her, despite the warmth of the shower, bumps breaking out on his skin. "It just means there's more for me to pull." She teases, giving a tug to his hair to punctuate the last word, making him gasp and almost stumble back into her if he hadn't reached out quickly to brace himself on the wall with his left hand. He actually lets out a strangled moan at the pull, and as she peers around his body, she's very happy to find his cock nice and erect against his belly, making her lick her lips. She loves his cock, long and thick even when soft, but hard? She can see the veins, the dark red flared head, the way he twitches under her watch.

"Pretty..." She snakes her hand around to wrap around his girth and he sucks in a sharp breath, his body shuddering pleasantly as he tips his head back, pressing into the palm of her hand as he trembles. "Look at you, so hard already. You're such a good boy for me, huh?" She gives his length a teasingly long stroke, and he gasps loudly, his right hand finding her wrist as his hips jerk into her grasp. She stops, the head of his cock in her fist, but he doesn't make a move to stop her or push her away.

"Too much?" She asks, placing a kiss on his bicep, tilting her head to look at him, analyzing his features to make sure he's okay. His eyes are squeezed shut, and he loves how his panting alternates from slow to rapid in a matter of seconds as she rubs the tip lightly. Not enough to push him over the edge, but enough where he actually wheezes.

"D-Don't wanna cum s-so quickly." He manages out, and she loves how broken his voice sounds.

"It's okay, sweet boy." She coos, placing another kiss on his shoulder and giving him another stroke from the head down. "Cum for me, Din."

His hand that was bracing himself on the wall comes just in time to cover his mouth as his body stiffens pleasantly against her, muffling his own cry as he paints the wall across them white with thick robes of semen. She can't help but bite her lip, continuing to stroke him through his orgasm until he lets out a choked whimper, his hips attempting to move away from her hand. She lets go of his hair and cock, pulling away as he leans against the wall for support, panting hard. She licks off the cum that slid onto her hand, then eyes the spots on the wall. Guess he really hadn't touched himself in a while, judging by the lovely amount that had painted the tiles.

"A-Amalas..." He adjusts so his back is to the wall and he slowly slides down the tile, making her smirk. He looks up at her, his gaze glossy as he lets his legs part. She moves forward a bit so she's standing over him, and he stares up at her with shock as she lowers into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Felt good, huh?" She says, almost teasingly, and he nods quickly. He feels like if he didn't answer her quickly, she'd punish him, and he didn't want that.

"A-Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Fuck yeah." She slides her folds over his cock, which is hardening quickly in response, and she smiles. "Are you?" He lays his hands on her thighs, his eyes fluttering as he takes her in, his cock fully hardening underneath her. Either she was releasing pheromones unconsciously or he was just really turned on. Maybe both, to be honest.

"Yes." He breathes out, his voice almost sounding pained. She leans in, brushing her lips over his as she lifts her hips, reaching down to align him with her entrance, before sliding down slowly, catching his moan as she presses her lips to his in a fiery kiss. His hands shoot up to tangle into her wet hair as she sinks down on him, before they break apart, their heads tilting back as they moan in unison.

"B-Been too long." Din gasps out, and she nods in agreement, looking down at him. "L-Let's not wait that long ever again."

"Why not?" She purrs, rolling her hips and making him gasp, his thighs tightening deliciously under her, and she grins deviously. "I quite like it when you are pent up like this. Just more for me to milk out of you." With that, she lifts up off of him and then drops back down, and he bucks his hips up in response, hands sliding down to her waist, his gasps and pants music to her ears. Amalas braces herself on the wall, her hands on either side of his head and begins a steady pace on his cock. He feels so good, she can feel every vein and ridge that makes him _Din,_ and despite already having spent one orgasm, he's harder than before, and she once again wonders if she's leaking pheromones. They always did tend to have a stronger effect on humans than other Stewjoni from studies.

"You feel so good." She murmurs, pressing their foreheads together before locking him in another kiss, her pace becoming brutal as all of emotions of the past few weeks begin to bubble up again. But instead of yelling and arguing, she's somewhat punishing him with the way she's dropping down on him. She swallows his cries, his fingers digging into her hips as she bounces on his cock, occasionally grinding on it that makes her see stars and the fire in her belly boil hotter.

Maker, she's such a fucking idiot. She felt horrible for suggesting to discontinue their relationship, and yet he somehow forgave her? Somehow, for some reason, he still wants to attempt to court her, and to love her? She remembers the rage she felt when she killed not only the ten foot assassin, but his employer. The feeling of satisfaction when he dropped after his neck snapped almost made her sick to her stomach. _Almost._

But the combined actions that have all boiled down to this makes her grit her teeth, and before she knows it, her hand is sliding up from his bicep up to his neck, wrapping it around his throat. She can hear the Force whispering warnings in her ear, but she ignores it, allowing her body to show her emotions rather than speak them.

Din sucks in a sharp breath at that, his muscles tensing under her hand, and she leans in to his ear, kissing by his sideburn, her lips soft and he can feel the heat of her breath against his skin, his body breaking out in bumps because of it. "A-Ammie?" He manages out, before jerking when her hips meet his sharply, his cry being cut off by her hand pressing against his windpipe. His eyes roll back into his head, and she fucking loves this look on him. He's so gorgeous like this; writhing and gasping and crying out and looking utterly wrecked under her. She loves how she can break down this man, this perfect man that was closed off in a metal shell, to a whining, squirming mess in a few movements. _She loved it._

Amalas was going to marry this man.

"You..." she murmurs, her voice breathy, low, _sultry,_ and his eyes blink to clear the spots that appear in his vision as she applies more pressure to his windpipe. "You are _mine."_ She punctuates the word with another sharp drop and press against his throat, and he lets out a choked cry, his body stiffening against hers, his hands digging into her thighs, and she knows she's going to have bruises again, but it just makes her want it more. He spasms against her as he cums, and she rides him through it, almost to the point of overstimulation before she's clamping around him, reaching her own orgasm, making him whine and gasp all at once, tears springing in his eyes at the feelings overwhelming his system.

The only sound in the fresher after that is Din's weak whimpers of overstimulation and the running shower.

* * *

They didn't talk after that, but the silence between them wasn't awkward, surprisingly, but it was a little strange. They finished showering, got dried and then Amalas got dressed in her clothes from the previous night, gave him a goodbye kiss and Grogu a head rub, and promptly left.

Din slumped on the edge of the bed, contemplating everything that just happened twenty minutes ago, still wrapped in his towel, and trying to figure out what the hell came over Amalas when she was riding him. It was almost as if she was possessed by something that made her suddenly possessive of _him._ Bumps break out on his skin again when he thinks about her lips against his ear as she whispered that he was hers, the way her hand tightened on his throat and how he almost blacked out from the intensity of it all. Not that he was complaining, but...

Grogu tapping on his arm catches his attention, and he destroys the thoughts before Grogu can tap into his head, and he looks down at his kid as he coos.

"Hey, buddy."

"Patu."

"Yeah, she left, I'm sorry. We'll see her later." He lays his hand on his head and Grogu leans into the touch, cooing softly. "What do you say about paying Yarick a visit today? Maybe ask him if he's up for resuming the dance lessons after my check in with the doctor." He perks up, his ears lifting excitedly.

Din made sure to wash down and clean the fresher and shower before he gave Grogu a bath, then they got ready for the day. He cleaned up around the room before Rheya arrived with their food for them. They ate in peace, and he made sure to take his supplements (ugh) before they set out to the medical wing for his check in. The palace was busier than it had been in the past few days, probably since the festival was arriving soon, and because of Amalas's return. She did say she was to make an announcement in the morning so that might be why, too. Servants and guards greeted him as he made his way to the medical wing and he waved and nodded back, sometimes stopping to make a short conversation when a servant stopped to say hi to Grogu.

Doctor Weir paced the room slightly as Din sat on the examination table worriedly, the examination having yet to start, and the silence from the doctor was a bit... Terrifying. Was something wrong with him? He should be better, right? The bacta infusions had worked, and he'd been walking really well, especially considering having walked down the stairs to get to not only Amalas's study last night, but to the medical wing.

_Am I dying?_

"Is something wrong?" He finally asks, and Weir's head shoots up quickly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He shakes his head, as if to clear a fog. "I apologize, I'm not quite right today. Would you mind removing your helmet for me?" Din purses his lips in question before slowly sliding his helmet off and setting it next to his hip. Weir steps forward and gently taps his fingers down his throat along his glands and apple before gently turning his head side to side to analyze his face. Then he takes his arm and prods the area where the fracture had been, then over the shoulder that had been dislocated, down his ribs, and finally over the now healed leg.

Weir hums in satisfaction. "You've healed quite well! And you made it to the wing without help."

"Yes, I... I feel good." For some reason he was brimming with energy, and he wondered if Amalas had healed him somehow. Or Grogu. Either one.

"That's good. Well, if you are feeling good, then I suppose I can clear you for activity again." Din perks up at that, but Weir shakes his head, waving his index finger at him. "Light activity, like stretching and the like."

_So no sex, probably. Well, already broke that rule._

"Are you taking your supplements?"

"Yes."

"Good, good." He murmurs, and Din glances over at Grogu, who looks up at him with his ears drooped, a quiet, worried coo coming from him.

"Is there something you're concerned about?" Din asks, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been gaining some weight back..."

"Oh, I have noticed that, yes. You've gained a good three pounds since switching your diet and that's just within a week and a half of waking up!" Weir looks back down at the chart. "Otherwise, you are fine. You are doing very well with everything, but, if you can, please do not run off again. You do not know Stewjon or its nature, so it would be deadly to an outsider like you."

"Wow, that makes me feel so much better." He grumbles. Weir simply chuckles, reaching and patting his shoulder.

"Alright, you're all cleared to go."

"Thank you." He pulled his helmet back on and then picked up Grogu, giving Weir a nod before leaving, the lingering worry staying with him as he left the exam room. Why did Weir seem so... Weird? Like something was wrong? It was concerning, and Din didn't really like it. He supposed maybe there was something about humans that differed from Stewjoni, so maybe Weir was trying to figure his genes? Or something like it? That scientist from a few weeks ago was strange, unusually excited that he was a Mandalorian until he told him that he wasn't born on Mandalore. For instance, Stewjoni were intersex, humans weren't. It seemed like they also had a higher sense of smell than normal humans, they had markings and the common red hair and blue or green eyes, and a higher sex drive, according to Amalas. Maybe there was something wrong with his vitamin levels again? So, what the heck was wrong with him that had Weir pacing like that?

"Baba!"

Din startles at the call, looking down at Grogu, who was.. Pouting?

"What?" His ears drooped and he reached up to touch the bottom of his helmet, his big brown eyes looking up at him with worry. "Sorry, I just... The doctor was acting really weird, you know? Just worried he found something off with me. I mean, my whole life is off, so what else is there to add?" Grogu giggled, making Din smile. "At least I have you. Even if you're a green gremlin that likes to eat eggs and live frogs."

Grogu simply cooed in agreement.

After walking out of the medical wing, he caught a maidservant who was passing by with a basket full of streamers, and she thankfully stopped to talk to him.

"What can I do for you?" She asks, her green eyes wide as she took him in. He noticed a faint pink blush on her freckled cheeks, but her ears were bright red. He internally sighed. They'll probably change their minds if they ever see his face, to be honest. Even if Amalas said he was the most handsome man, it didn't mean he was the most handsome man in other people's eyes.

"Do you know where Captain Yarick's room is?"

"Oh, yes, second floor, first door to your right when you overlook the foyer."

"Thank you." She curtsies before hurrying off, meeting a small group of servants with other decorations in their baskets.

Din figured that Yarick would be in his room since he said Amalas gave him some time off, so he hoped he was right. He knocks softly on the door three times, then takes a step back and waits patiently. Grogu looks up at him curiously, before turning back to the door as they hear heavy footsteps approach the door. Din actually physically flinches. _Oh, shit, I didn't just wake him, did I? He must be exhausted after what they did in the past week._

The door opens, and Din nearly chokes on his own saliva.

So, remember how he figured Yarick was built like a tank?

Yeah, that's true.

Until now, the most Din had seen was his forearms from that day Yarick and Amalas were sparring, and he knew that Yarick was ripped judging by all of the shirts he wore, but he'd never seen more than that.

Yarick rubs his eyes sleepily, shirtless, and Din can't help his eyes drift down. Thanks to his helmet, his eyes are allowed to drift without being caught. Yarick's arms are about the size of his head, and rippling with veins. His abs are profound and, to Din's jealousy, legit has an eight pack. His sleep pants hang low on his hips, showing off his Adonis belt, and Din can't help the gulp he has to swallow before tearing his eyes back up to Yarick's sleepy face.

"Din?" Bumps break out on his skin. If he thought Yarick's voice was deep already, his tired voice triumphed that. He ignores the prodding feeling in his head that he knows is from Grogu, probably trying to gauge his reaction. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Early? It's, um, it's nine-thirty." Yarick blinks at him twice before stepping aside and letting him in.

"Damn, I must have passed out hard." Din steps to the left so Yarick can shut the door, and he takes in the room while Yarick steps over to a walled off part of the room, most likely to grab a shirt. The inside of his helmet was warm, and he just knew his face was red.

 _I am_ not _attracted to Yarick._

Trying to keep his mind off of Yarick and his weird sexuality panic, he takes in the captain's quarters. A fridge is standing right next to him, and he steps away to take in the rest of the small kitchen. It has a couple of cabinets above a small sink, a two top stove and a small section of counter. A two seater table sits in the corner with a few files on top of it. The common room is small with a small two seater couch, a chair and table, in front of a small fireplace, and to the left wall was a balcony leading out. The room would be dark if not thanks to his visor's functions. There's a nice desk near the fireplace, with more files either stacked or open on the top. He must have had a late night, Din figures. Combined with what happened in the past couple of weeks, Din figured he'd be exhausted. Then to the right is a walled off part with a small door leading through.

"I passed out so hard last night." Yarick yawns as he returns from the room, now dressed in a loose tunic, his dreads tied back.. "Guess I don't sleep as good on a ship's cot than I do on my own bed."

"Yeah, the cot on the Razor Crest was a back killer." After sleeping on an actual mattress for several weeks and not fighting for his life, his back pain had actually went away a bit, but then he got attacked so it was sort of back.

"Not to mention all of that armor." Yarick comments, walking past him and to the kitchen, opening the cabinet and pulling out a mug before pausing. "Do you want some caf?"

"I'm okay, thank you." Yarick nods then pulls out a carafe from the cabinet on the blank part of the counter, gesturing to the table.

"Have a seat." Din quickly moves over to the table and sits down, trying not to glance at the files on the table. There's a few holo pucks and screens mixed in but surprisingly it's mainly paper files. He settles Grogu in his lap as the kid looks around curiously.

"How did you sleep last night?" Yarick asks as he fills the steel carafe.

"Oh, slept good, actually."

"Did you talk to Amalas?" Din blushes, thankful for his helmet.

"I did." Yarick sets the carafe on one of the burners, touching a button before turning to him, putting his hand on his hip.

"And?"

"And we talked, and... We're going to try again. We just need to get better at communicating with each other. And I told her about the dream from the Force." Yarick nods, looking satisfied.

"Good. Amalas likes you, and it would have been a shame if you two did not make it work." He walks over and sits down on the other chair, leaning back. It looks like his wounds healed, because the wrap around his forearm is gone and the bruises and cuts he'd seen last night were faded, just small pink stripes in place of the cuts. Bacta was amazing.

"I wanted to ask you..." Din rubbed his leg nervously, making Grogu follow the movement with his head. "Maybe if you would be up for returning to our lessons soon. I know it's a lot to ask, but I've been cleared, and the festival isn't that far away now, so..."

Yarick crosses his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrow as he stares at him.

"If you don't want to-"

"Tomorrow morning, seven in the morning." He tips his head forward, raising his eyebrows high. "Sound good?"

Din felt like a loth-puppy that had just been given a treat.

"Yes, that sounds good."

"Good. How was your check in?"

* * *

After visiting with Yarick for some time, he left the man to relax on his day off. Apparently, Amalas had set a thing in place that if Yarick, Gloxia or Brand ever had to go with her on a mission of some sort, that they were to take a couple of days off in order to recover, and so Yarick was taking about four days off to relax. So it gave them time to return to the lessons, and hopefully continue to keep it a secret from Amalas.

Speaking of Amalas, as he came to the railing overlooking the main foyer, he spotted her in the middle, talking to a man who was showing her something on a larger screen. The man occasionally points at the screen then gestures to the foyer, and sometimes Amalas nods and gives feedback.

Din sighs, almost... Dreamily.

She's dressed casually today, with her hair in a braid that hung over her shoulder, wearing a simple high collared teal shirt that clung to her curves in all the right ways under a dark crimson jacket, black pants that hugged her hips and legs so well and dark gray ankle high boots. She wore her gold communication bracelet on her left wrist, and a simple gold circlet wrapped around her forehead.

Maker, she's beautiful.

Grogu reached out to her, and Din smiles, beginning the descent down the stairs. Amalas must have sensed him, because she turned to him and smiled up at him, giving a small wave. Oh, good, she seemed better than she did this morning after the shower, when she didn't really say anything to him after riding him to incoherency, and he had to admit he was a little worried, if not off-put about the reaction.

"Good morning." Amalas greets smoothly, as if they hadn't just had sex that morning.

"Morning." He greets back, then nods at the man next to her.

"Mando, this is Sylas, the coordinator for the festival. Sylas, meet the Mandalorian." Sylas bows his head, smiling warmly at him.

"It is good to meet you finally. I'm glad you recovered."

"Thank you." Din replies, nodding at him. "How are the preparations going? Everyone seems energetic today."

"With the extra time Her Majesty gave us, we were able to fit some more things into the festival than we had originally planned on." Sylas says excitedly. "I believe this year's festival will be the best one we have ever had." Amalas smiles, crossing her arms, the screen hanging by her side, still in her hand.

"That is the hope." Amalas says. "Hopefully, there won't be any more storms until after the festival."

"Yes, rain does tend to make things difficult, but we usually get through it." Din smiles under his helmet, and looks down at Grogu, who is squirming in his arms.

"What? What do you want?" His kid whines, reaching out to Amalas, who smiles and hands the screen back to Sylas, then swiftly takes Grogu out of his arms, raising him in the air to wiggle him slightly.

"Good morning, Grogu!" She coos and Grogu squeals, his ears bouncing with the movement. She brings him to her chest and he reaches up, playing with the bangs falling down the side of her face. "How did you sleep?" He coos up at her, and Din is actually sort of jealous they can communicate through the Force. All he gets are coos and the occasional babble. He wondered how long it would take for Grogu to start speaking. Maybe he could try teaching him? Or maybe when he starts the education program Amalas wanted to set up for him, they would help him start to talk. Hm. He'd have to ask Amalas. 

Sylas beams at the two, then turns his attention to Din again, opening his mouth to speak before the thundering of footsteps catch their attentions.

"They're coming!"

Brand is bolting down the stairs at record speed, his helmet clasped in his hands. Gloxia is following closely, eyes wide with surprise and shock. Brand bolts up to them, grabbing Sylas' arm first and shaking him, his eyes wide. Sylas sputters in shock as Sylas shakes him, looking panicked and excited all at once. 

"They're coming! They're coming!" He repeats, doing the same thing to Amalas and Din without thinking. Din lets him, too stunned to try to pull away. What was coming?

"Sargent, what's going on?" Amalas asks, grasping his forearm to steady him and Brand trembles in his spot, looking ready to combust on the spot.

"The babies! Ember is in labor! The babies are coming!"

"What are you waiting for!?" Amalas yelps, shoving him in the direction to the palace doors. "Go be with her!" Brand nods, almost stumbling as he turns to run to the hallway before stopping and throwing his hands in the air, his helmet in his left hand. Din is pretty sure he's never seen a man look so happy in his life. 

"I'm going to be a father!"


	20. Arrival

Din couldn't take his eyes off of the triplets as they observed them in the nursery ward, the sounds of Amalas, Yarick and Gloxia congratulating Brand a bit distant to him. Grogu was in his arms, equally as fascinated with the babies as he was. Ember was being checked over by the doctors and the babies were taken for cleaning and a examination separately but Din figured that they would not be apart for long. They were just doing a quick check with Ember since she did have three babies, and they wanted to ensure her health before letting them continue to bond. He couldn't imagine having three babies; he could hardly keep up with Grogu as it was.

His eyes drift over to Amalas, who talks with her guard quietly, giving him and Grogu some time to look at the babies for themselves. He remembers his words from that day, when he had a strange snap and apparently discovered a... What had Amalas said it was? A breeding and pregnancy kink?

Yeah, when he discovered that he has a breeding and pregnancy kink.

His face heats up when he realizes his eyes start drifting to her stomach, underneath her crossed arms. He tears his eyes away to return to the babies, smiling softly. Two girls, one boy is what they had, and they were just deciding what to name them. They were healthy, according to the doctor, and were now squirming in their blankets in the hospital cribs, softer cries from other babies blocked off with the glass. One thing he's curious about is that none of the babies or kids he'd seen lately had markings. Did those come later in life?

"It is going to be a hell of a ride raising these three." He looks over at Brand, who comes to a stop next to him, crossing his arms as he stares proudly at the babies, a warm look flooding his face.

"Congratulations." Din says once more, adjusting Grogu in his arm. "You guys will do fine. If you can oversee a whole guard, three kids shouldn't be too bad." Brand laughs loudly.

"I suppose you're right."

"How's Ember?"

"She's okay. She's super strong, so this was a piece of cake." Din glances down at his bruised hand.

"Yeah, super strong, huh?" Brand looks down at his hand, bringing it up to examine it before smiling sheepishly.

"She _is_ the royal forger and armorer."

"Is she?"

"Yup. She went on leave when she got pregnant, but she is excited to return after maternity leave." Brand sighs softly. "This is definitely going to be interesting..." Din smiles under his helmet, looking back at the babies as a nurse comes and picks one of them up to bring forward for them to look at.

Yeah. Interesting was a word for it for sure.

* * *

"I can't believe they had their babies!" Gloxia says as she stretches her arms over her head as they walk back to the palace. It's late afternoon by the time they're heading back, but the city is bustling with energy as they prep for the festival that's soon to arrive. Apparently, once they saw Amalas, their tension dissolved, so Din figured that they must know that the threats were eliminated even before her announcement tomorrow. Her presence was soothing, not only to him, but to everyone.

"Took them long enough." Yarick replies, shoving his hands into his pockets of his pants, huffing softly while he shakes his head. "Only took them twelve years of pining to get together."

"Says you." Amalas comments casually, making Yarick sputter in shock. Din raises his eyebrow at that. What did she mean by that? He thinks about the order he had put in with Tania. Maybe that was a gift for the person he was trying to court?

"Hey!" Gloxia raises her eyebrow, then her face lights up, moving up to walk backwards so she can face him, her hands clasped behind her head.

"Do you have a crush on someone, Yarick?" She teases, and a noticeable red blush starts spreading from his ears down to his cheeks.

"I do not."

"He does! Woo, praise the heavens! Ladies, come get this piece of meat!" She shouts, cupping her hands over her mouth as she calls out. Women and even men look over at the commotion and Yarick lets out an indistinguishable yelp, bolting forward and wrapping his arms around her waist, he hoists her over his shoulder easily as she squeals and hits his back.

"Put me down, you overgrown giant!" Gloxia yells, kicking and squirming in his hold.

"No."

Din can't help but smile. They had been best friends since they were little, it made sense that their friendship was like this.

"They are ridiculous." Amalas rolls her eyes, a smile on her lips. They hang back as Yarick walks ahead of them, Gloxia still over his shoulder, but she accepted her defeat and is now hanging over his shoulder like a limp sack of something.

He looks down at Grogu, who now seems bored of looking around, and starts reaching for Amalas again, just like he did earlier in the foyer.

"What? What does she have that I don't?" Grogu whimpers, continuing to reach for Amalas, and she laughs, taking him from Din's arms and adjusting him where his ears wouldn't slap her in her face. He happily lays his head on her shoulder, his three fingered hands clutching her jacket tightly as he settles against her.

"Did you make him mad or something?" Amalas asks, raising her eyebrow.

"I don't think so. Either that or he missed you since you were gone for a while. It still hurts, though." Grogu simply coos in response.

"He says to stop being a baby." Amalas says, and Din turns his helmet to look at her in disbelief.

"He told you that?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

"Nope."

"He did not tell you that."

"Now he is saying not to yell at me."

"I am not-" He huffs, crossing his arms and actually pouting a bit.

"You're so mean."

"No, I just like teasing you enough to see you get riled up."

" _Mean_." Amalas just chuckles again, before she looks up at him, lowering her voice as she speaks.

"You okay from this morning?" He flushes.

"Yes. It was... What, um... What came over you?" He remembers her hand on his throat, her low voice whispering in his ear that he was hers... Bumps break out on his skin underneath his clothing at the thought, the images of earlier flooding his brain again.

Amalas shakes her head, her face tinted pink. "I am not sure, to be honest. I suppose my emotions got the best of me." Din huffed out a laugh. That was putting it lightly.

"Apparently. But it was amazing, Amalas. It really was."

"Really?" He scoffs teasingly, smirking under his helm as he leans in close to her while they walk.

"Yes, really."

Amalas has a smile on her face the rest of the walk back to the palace.

* * *

Everyone parted their ways once they returned to the palace. Yarick went back to his room to finish filing, Gloxia returned to her shift, Din disappeared with Grogu to find some new books to read apparently, and Amalas had to get caught up on a ton of reports that had been piling up. With how busy it had been in the past few weeks, she was extremely behind, and after stripping Rowan of his title as Secretary of the People, all of the work he hadn't done had to be distributed to her and the other Council members, and it was a _lot._

Amalas grumbled under her breath as she looked over a permit file, and startled when she realized it was Tania and Atlas's file for the space in the square for their business expansion. She flipped through their resident files, their permits for the space and their business license, and even their references. She mentally cursed Rowan for putting it off for this long; they'd been waiting for three years!

She huffed, signing for the acceptance of the permit and space application, then put it in the basket for going out, adding to the already tall pile. She had to catch the stack before it toppled over, wincing as she pulled half of it after and set it down next to the bin. Amalas scratches her head. Wow, she... Got a lot done. Huh.

Din pops into her head, and she sighs, pausing her hand for a minute as she lets her thoughts drift to the Mandalorian. To be honest, when he had come to her last night, here in this study, she thought he was going to have another heart attack with the sudden suggestion. Thank the Force that it didn't happen. And then after with the way he had treated her hands once more, had hugged her in bed when he thought she was asleep, which she partially was, but the tenderness of this man made her shake with love. That sweet bright smile could make any heart melt.

Fuck. She was in deep, wasn't she?

"Auntie!"

Amalas bolted out of her chair to the right, away from the voice that had spoken on her left, pointing the pen at the person as if it was going to protect her. Well, she did kill a man once with a pen, so it _was_ possible.

The little boy, however, was no threat. Her nephew giggles gleefully, crawling into her chair as she lets out a sigh of relief, putting the pen down on the desk and putting her hands on her hips sternly, huffing at him.

"Boy, what did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that?" Rune simply giggled, his curls bouncing as he plopped down firmly in the cushioned seat, laying out his arms on the armrests, too small for the size of the chair, but still adorable nonetheless.

"Not to?" He replies cheekily, and she huffs, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You are a brat."

"But I'm your favorite, Auntie."

"Debatable." He giggles in reply, crossing his arms over his chest just like his father.

Amalas blinks. _His father._

She slowly turns toward the door as a man's chuckle echoes throughout the room, her heart skipping a few beats as she takes in her brother standing in the doorway. His arms are crossed, but the familiar fond look on her face has her melting in her shoes. She didn't realize how much she missed him until now, but damn did it feel good to have him back. 

"Whatcha doing, O great and powerful Jedi? Afraid a five year old boy will take you out?"

"If powerful in the Force, he could, Omari." Her brother simply chuckles in reply. She walks around the desk as he walks further into the room, meeting halfway for an embrace. She sighs happily as she sinks into the softness of his chest, nuzzling her face into his neck as his strong arms tighten around her.

"But seriously, how are you?" Omari asks as they pull away. He eyes the reports and files on her desks with a critical look as he crosses his arms, glancing at her as she rubs the back of her neck.

"Uh, been busy, but fine otherwise."

"I can see that. It is not like you to be so behind on this kind of stuff." Amalas huffs out of her nose, crossing her arms with a pout.

"Like I said, I have been busy." Omari simply grunts in reply. "You did not tell me you were coming home."

"We wanted to surprise you. Osca sent us a message telling us that the festival had been pushed to the next week, and well, since we had already finished everything up on Coruscant, we figured we might as well come home early. Wren said he should be here tomorrow, as well."

Amalas blinks. "Why did you not tell me? When is Mother and Father coming?"

"Probably in the next couple of days is what they said, but you know how Mother always likes to be early to things. So, probably tomorrow."

"Fu-" She cuts herself off, realizing that Rune was still in earshot, and sighs. "You guys could have given me notice."

"We did. Like three times."

"You liar, I received no such message."

"But it is true. I talked to Gloxia and she said she would pass on the message to you."

"She has not passed anything onto me."

"Hm."

"Number one, Gloxia only returned to work a few days after Griselle got attacked, so she has been busy with work and parents. If she forgot, I will not hold it against her. Number two, you could have contacted me personally, you know. And I do not know why they would not contact me to let me know either!" Omari simply shrugs, her nostrils flaring in irritation at his nonchalance.

"Well, we are here now." Amalas sighs in defeat. He had a point. Nothing she could say or do would change the fact, but in the morning, she was so going to contact the rest of her family and give her a piece of her mind.

"True. Where is Leonida?"

"She is getting settled in our suite. Oh, which brings me to this..." He pulls out a small box and hands it to her. Amalas raises her eyebrow, opening it to see a small pin of tiny feet. She furrows her eyebrows and looks up at him.

"Is Leonida-"

"Pregnant? She sure is." Her hand flies up to cover her mouth to hide her gasp, her eyes wide. Omari laughs loudly, rubbing the back of his neck. "We wanted to tell you first, and then we will tell Mother and Father next."

"This is great!" Amalas wraps her arms around him, sighing softly. "Oh, I cannot wait for a new baby!" Omari laughs again, hugging her back, his hand rubbing soothing circles into her shoulder.

"We are really excited."

"As you should be. Have you explained it to Rune yet?"

"Not yet, but we will." He looks over at his son, who is snooping through Amalas's drawers in her desk, probably looking for the sweets she kept hidden for a treat while she was working. Amalas let him; she always liked to spoil the youngest of her nieces and nephews, and if it meant giving him a sugar high right before bed, then she was all for it.

"How far along is she?"

"About five months."

"Five!?" She slaps his shoulder, making him yelp. "You have waited five months to tell us this!?"

"We were just waiting for the right time, and it has been really busy with the New Republic. We have been getting pushed by other dignitaries to join the Republic despite being neutral. It has been a fight lately, especially since they are trying to figure out why you refuse to make an appearance for a meeting."

"It is too out in the open." Amalas replies steadily, frowning. "I may have served for the Rebellion, but that was from the shadows. Not to mention the remnants from the Empire still hunt me."

"Uh huh. Would that have anything to do with, say, a refinery explosion on Morak?" Amalas freezes. "Or! What about the Imperial cruiser that seemed to have been blown up that the New Republic found about a month ago?"

"I had nothing to do with the refinery explosion on Morak. I did, however... Kill Moff Gideon and then blew up his ship. That I did, yes."

Omari pales, the flicker of the flames making it very noticeable in his features. "You... You killed one of the most powerful moffs of the Empire?"

"Yes."

"Force, Amalas! Do you know what kind of backlash that could have on you? Especially since you took him down by yourself? Silver Reaper, my ass, this could have severe consequences-"

"Omari."

Her brother froze, his body growing cold at the look he received.

"I have considered every possible outcome, Omari." She says, too cold for his liking. "Do not think me as a fool. I do not act without taking proper precaution. Now, let us go see my sister-in-law, please. And maybe get a snack."

"Y-Yes, that sounds good."

Amalas ignored the pleasant feeling in the back of her skull at the slight fear emitting off of him as he called Rune, and they started walking down the hall together in quiet, taking their time as they took in the decorating of the palace for the festival. There are some ladders or stools set up for the streamers, neatly put against the walls until they can be resumed for tomorrow. Amalas furrows her eyebrows. How late was it?

"What time did you get in?"

"About an hour ago. We wanted to settle and change before I came to see you. You were working late."

"I was?"

"Rheya said you disappeared into your study nearly six hours ago."

"Oh, shit." Amalas mumbles under her breath. That meant that when they returned from the hospital at four- "It is nine?"

"9:43, actually."

"Force. I did let a lot of work pile up, so is that not good that I disappeared for that long?" Omari snorts, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, tugging her close to his side.

"You are just like Ben, you know that?"

"And how is that?"

"You two let work pile up to the point it is at your ears, then disappear for hours to get through it." Amalas giggles. "Do not laugh, little one. It is bad for your health."

"Okay, okay, I will not let it pile up anymore."

"Good. Now, tell me, what did I miss while off world?"

"Not too much. Ember had her babies today, though."

"Did she? That's great! I bet Brand is shaking in his boots."

"Oh, you should have seen him! It was amusing." She chuckles, remembering the bruise on his hand. "Ember almost broke his hand. You should see the bruise on it."

Omari laughs. "Ember is stronger than most women I know, so that is not a surprise."

"No, it is not, but it is still funny. Let's see..." Her teeth worry at her lower lip, wincing. "I brought home a youngling to train."

"A youngling?" Omari furrows his eyebrows. "You are going to train a youngling to become a Jedi? How did that happen?"

"While I was on my way home from my last site, I was meditating and heard a call through the Force from a youngling on Tython. I got there, expecting to find him there, but all I found were stormtrooper bodies and wreckage of three ships, two imperial, and a ship that looked like it had been incinerated." Amalas sighs as she recounts the memory, frowning. "I reached out to the Force to figure out what happened, and it turns out that the child had been abducted by the Empire."

"The Empire is gone."

"It is not, Omari. If you were paying attention to the Outer Rim news, you would know that the Empire still stands. Remnants, but standing regardless. You remember how they hunted me relentlessly for years."

"I know, but-"

"They are still standing, Omari. That is that. Anyway," she waves at him before he can continue protesting. "I had been hearing these rumors circulating among the New Republic about a Razor crest and a rogue Mandalorian bounty hunter."

"A Mandalorian bounty hunter?"

"Yes, I was just as surprised. I would have reached out to Bo-Katan if I had not found him first. He was in the company of a marshal of the New Republic, as well as Fennec Shand and Boba Fett, who was thought to be dead."

"He is alive? I thought he died back on Tatooine."

"That is what I thought as well, but he is alive. Scarred all to hell, but alive. I helped them get the child back from the Imperial, who turned out to be Moff Gideon. And now he is dead and the two have been living with me ever since."

Amalas rushes out the final words in a haste and picks up her pace ahead of Omari, who stands still, dumbfounded at the new information.

"Hey, hey, do not just walk away from me like that!" He grabs her forearm, stopping her in her tracks and gives her an incredulous look. "There is a Mandalorian on our soil again?"

"Yes. He has met Bo-Katan, who directed him to Ahsoka, who gave him instructions to Tython for him to call out for a Jedi. It was either me or Luke."

"Luke was the one to take down Darth Vader and the Emperor, so it would not have been that big of a deal to let him go with him."

"No, but Grogu's attachment to his adoptive father is strong, as he also is with the Force. I will not send another child down a path of darkness just because of separation."

"Are you sure this does not reflect some of your own personal problems as well, Amalas?"

Amalas stops short, her stare slowly morphing into a suspicious look.

"What are you suggesting?" Omari raises his hands. Rune is completely oblivious to their emotions, thank the Maker for a child's innocence, and was still happily skipping ahead of them. They were almost to the second floor, now standing on the stairs leading down, but Amalas couldn't help but stop and stare down at her brother with furrowed eyebrows.

"I am just saying that you may have... Personal issues with separating children from their fathers."

"Of course I have personal issues with separating children from their fathers." Amalas hisses, making Omari give her a pointed look. "I did not meet my father until I was eighteen, Omari. I knew him for maybe a year and a half before the Empire took over, and then I did not see him for twenty years after that because he chose something else that made him suffer for years alone over his own daughter. He was _your_ brother, too, and I remember how mad you were at him for choosing Luke over me back then as well. So I do not want to hear any more of this conversation, do you understand?"

Omari purses his lips before nodding slowly.

"Good."

They continue down the rest of the stairs in silence, before freezing as they hear laughter when they arrive on the second floor's landing, looking over the railing to the foyer down below to see-

_Oh, shit._

Leonida, her beautiful, amazing, sweet sister-in-law slash aunt was talking to Din, who was currently holding a sleeping Grogu in his arms, but they were chatting easily, as if they had been friends for forever. Leonida's hands were laying over her five-month along belly, her dress falling over it easily, accentuating it quite lovely in fact. Omari and Amalas watch in silence for a minute, Rune having come to a stop by Omari's legs, crouching low to watch through the bars of the railing.

Leonida gasps quietly, her eyes lighting up, and she slides her hand to the lower left of her belly, grinning. Din's body noticeably stiffens, worry flooding their bond, and Amalas nearly melts.

"She just moved." Leonida says excitedly. "Would you like to feel it?"

"S-Sure." Amalas loves the little stutter in Din's voice, the vocoder doing nothing to hide it. He hesitantly reaches, and she takes his wrist, guiding his hand until the flat of his palm is sliding over the curve of her belly before she stops it, holding it there for a minute while they wait. Omari and Amalas hold their breaths for a minute before Leonida laughs at the same time Din jerks, a quiet gasp breaking through the helmet.

"Feels interesting, huh?" She asks. "I love the feeling, even if it means they push on my bladder." Din laughs, breathless and in awe, and Amalas wants to hop over this damn railing and tackle him into a kiss. His helmet is tilted where his visor is meeting the area where his hand is, and she can see his whole body shake as what she presumes is another movement, because Leonida sighs happily.

"I-I've never felt anything like this before." Din says softly, and there's a twinge in Amalas's heart. She's not sure why, but it just... It just hurts her to hear something like that from him.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Din nods, the movement long and slow as he stares at her belly in what Amalas can only presume is wonder. She feels into their bond again, and it's confirmed. Awe and wonder and... Longing?

 _Oh, my love, you'll get that soon. I promise._ Amalas thinks, forcing to hold it back from their bond, just to keep their presence hidden a little longer. Din gently pulls his hand away from her belly, tipping his helmet in the Mandalorian version of thanks, his hold on Grogu adjusting slightly. Leonida reaches out tentatively and rubs the little one's back gently.

"He's all tuckered out, huh?"

"We were in the library all day, and then usually after dinner he passes out like this." She smiles, chuckling softly.

"How long have you been here?"

"About..." He drifts off, concern lacing the bond now. He's probably furrowing his eyebrows underneath that helmet. "Maker, a month now, I think." Before he can continue to explain, though, Rune bolts down the stairs to his mother, latching onto her leg and nuzzling her calf.

"Oh, hey, baby." Leonida laughs, putting her hand on his head and stroking his curls. "Where is your father?"

"Here." Omari says as they walk down the stairs behind Leonida, and Amalas is pretty sure Din just paled, because concern and almost fear floods their bond. Amalas rolls her eyes as Omari wraps his arm around Leonida's waist, pressing a kiss to her lips as she stands to the side, crossing her arms as she looks at Din, who looks over at her.

"Mando, meet my older brother slash uncle, Omari. Omari, meet Mando, our guest." Omari bows his head in greeting, smiling kindly.

"It is nice to meet you. I assume this is the youngling you answered the call for?" He gestures at Grogu, who shifts against Din's armor at the new voices, but remains asleep.

"Yes. Mando has been staying with us for a while, but I think the people are warming up to him." Din shifts on his feet slightly. Amalas is the only one who catches the movement, but she doesn't comment on it. His mind must be racing a mile a minute.

"I see." Omari hums thoughtfully, and Amalas casts him a quick glare before turning back to Din.

"This is Leonida, my sister-in-law. I am glad you are already acquainted."

"He's lovely, Amalas." Leonida chirps, smiling brightly as she slides her hand over her belly. "But, I am exhausted, so I am ready to retire for the night. Perhaps we can get together for some lunch tomorrow, Mando?"

"O-Oh, really?" Din struggled to hide the surprise and actual excitement in his voice, but nods. "That would be... Uh, nice." Leonida smiles at him, then starts steering her son to the stairs.

"Mom, I'm hungry!" He chirps.

"We will get you a snack while we head up." She replies as they start heading up the stairs, leaving only Omari, Amalas and Din standing in the foyer.

"Well..." Omari says, dragging the word out, eyeing Din carefully, making him reflexively stiffen. "I am pretty exhausted as well, so I think I will retire as well." He puts his hand on Amalas's shoulder, shaking her slightly.

"Bleh." She sticks her tongue out at him, and he responds by flicking her in between her eyebrows. She yelps, rubbing the spot furiously as Omari turns back to Din, who is watching Amalas, but at sensing being looked at again, he turns his helmet back over to Omari.

"I look forward to talking with you more tomorrow, Mando. It was nice meeting you." Din nods in reply, and Amalas gives Omari a pout, whereas he just smiles so dang irritatingly bright at her, then turns and follows after his wife and son.

"Asshole." Amalas mumbles under her breath once he's out of sight, and Din snorts. "Want me to walk you back to your room?"

"Sure."

They walk to his floor in silence, the only noise coming from Grogu, and it was just his quiet snores. Then, once they got to his room, Din set Grogu carefully in his cradle before standing straight, stretching his back and letting out a soft groan.

"Is your back hurting?" Amalas asks, frowning at the sight.

"A little bit. The, uh, shower this morning didn't really help it." Amalas smirks to herself, shutting the door quietly behind her so he can take his helmet off in privacy. "So, that was your brother?" He slowly pulls the helmet off and sets it where he usually puts it, on the chest by the armor stand. Then he turns to look at her, blushing at the look he receives.

"Yes."

"You didn't tell me he was coming."

"I was not aware he was coming, actually." She frowns, her eyes squinting in suspicion. "Now that I think about it, I need to contact my parents and my other brothers to make sure they are not planning any surprise arrivals. This was enough."

"Okay, I'm confused. Why do you call them your brothers?" Amalas sits on the edge of the bed, bouncing on it slightly as she hums.

"I grew up with them thinking they were my brothers and they considered me as their sister. Even after I found out that I was their niece instead of sister, it did not really change the bond we had as siblings growing up." Din sits next to her as she talks, reaching slowly and taking her hand with a gloveless hand, holding it comfortingly. "Omari and Owen were some of my strongest protectors growing up. They were always by my side when I needed them, and... Well, to say the least, I liked that about them. I always complained about it, but I really did love having their support, and when I became queen, that all simply increased."

"I still think it was as little mean to leave you the throne abruptly." Amalas laughs, making him huff in reply.

"Yes, it was abrupt and startling, but... It has worked out, has it not?" Din smiles, bringing her hand up to his lips, and he places a light kiss on the back of her hand. Amalas turns red, making him grin.

"You're an amazing woman, Amalas." He murmurs against her skin. "Simply amazing."

Amalas couldn't help herself.

She twists her body slightly, cupping his face to bring him to hers, and kisses him, full of softness and gentleness and everything that she felt towards him, she let it all pour out into the touch. Din sighs softly into the kiss, bringing up his other hand to envelop her hand completely, moving against her with perfect sync. After a couple of minutes of kissing, they pull away from each other, tilting their heads so their foreheads were touching, and he gently rubs his nose against hers. She smiles, the fatigue finally washing over her from the day.

"I must head to bed now, Din." She murmurs, and he pouts slightly. "Din."

"Okay." He sighs, pressing another kiss to her lips before allowing her to stand, still holding onto her hand as if it was his lifeline.

"Din." He pulls her back slightly, once again lifting her hand to press a kiss to her hand before gently stroking the exposed skin of her wrist with his thumb while he looks up at her through those beautiful dark lashes of his. Maker, those big, beautiful brown eyes were absolutely beautiful, and she couldn't help but melt under his gaze.

"One more kiss?" He asks, voice hopeful, and she smiles, turning around to lean down. She cups his face and presses a soft, chaste kiss before deepening it, sighing softly against him.

_Thank you for giving me this wonderful man._

* * *

"Your forms are still really good." Yarick praises as they move back over to the benches for a short break. "You're still a little stiff, but it makes sense after being injured." Din chuckles, nodding as he picks up his canteen before sitting down. Grogu was on a small picnic blanket, paying them no attention as he concentrated on his blocks with the Force. Din honestly felt a little proud; apparently Amalas had given Grogu little exercises to do to start strengthening his powers, and now he was using it with ease.

Din sits down, sighing softly in relief as his back is relieved from the pressure of standing. Maker, he needed to do something about this pain or else he was going to _suffer_ if he was able to do the dance with Amalas at the festival. Yarick turns around thoughtfully so Din can drink water, stretching out his legs as he takes a sip of his own water.

"Do you think I'll be ready for the festival?"

"If you train extra hard. But I think you would be okay. We should do two trainings every day. With a little over a week until the festival, I think that would be the best. One session in the morning, another in the evening. How does that sound?"

Din smiles, taking a long sip before pulling his helmet back down. "Yes, I like that idea."

"Good."

"So, I met Amalas's brother last night." Yarick freezes.

"What?" Din looks over at him worriedly. Did he say something wrong? "Which brother?"

"Omari."

"Oh, shit- I didn't know they were back."

"Yeah, Amalas didn't know either. I was talking to his wife without knowing who she was." He feels himself blush, remembering the feeling of the baby moving in her belly. Maker, that was such a surreal feeling. And Leonida was so kind, talking to him as if she had known him for their whole lives, and she was... Actually really nice to talk to. And then he met Omari and he nearly passed out when he registered the gold markings.

"Leonida is one of the sweetest women I have ever known." Yarick laughs. "She and Omari were fooling around for years until they finally got married like, twenty years ago."

"How old is their son?"

"Five. He was a surprise, came shortly after the fall of the Empire."

"She's pregnant again. She even let me touch her belly to feel the baby."

"Holy- She is!?"

"I think five months along?" Yarick laughs.

"That's amazing. It's about time they have more kids. I wonder how long until they move back to Stewjon." Yarick stands with a grunt, facing him with his eyes closed.

"Helmet is on." Yarick pops one eye open before opening both, smiling at him brightly.

"So, shall we resume?"

"Whatcha guys doing?"

They both jump at the sound of Amalas's voice, and Din turns around to see her coming down the path, her arms crossed over her chest. She's dressed in a simple dark blue long sleeve tunic for the cool morning air, black pants and simple black shoes. Her hair is tied in a lazy low bun, and she looks exhausted. Din frowns beneath his helmet. Did she not sleep well?

"Sparring." Yarick says before Din can say anything, and at the raise of her eyebrow, the captain quickly adds, "Lightly. Just making sure his muscles don't get weak." Din turns to look up at the giant of a man, glaring as hard as he can through the visor of his helmet. Amalas laughs, coming to a stop by Grogu's blanket and kneeling down to him. He coos happily at the sight of her and reaches up, his blocks forgotten.

"Good morning, Grogu." She says, picking him up and standing, holding him close to her as he immediately takes a fascination with her bun, reaching over her shoulder in order to do so.

"You look exhausted, Amalas." Yarick chides gently. "Why didn't you sleep in today?" She shrugs slightly as she comes to sit by Din, sighing tiredly.

"My mind was far too active to go to sleep last night."

"Din told me that Omari and Leonida are home." She nods, the corner of her mouth twitching at the use of his name. "Does that mean Wren and Alvaria will be coming next?"

"I believe so. I will call them all in a little bit, but Rheya said you two were out here so I was just wondering what you two were up to."

"Just hanging out." Yarick puts a hand on Din's helmet, making him stiffen slightly, before turning his head up to him, hopefully conveying exasperation through his movements. Amalas raises her eyebrow, carefully eyeing them as Din swats Yarick's hand away.

"You two... Hanging out? That's odd."

"It is not." Yarick huffs. "If he is to be your future husband, would it not be better for us to get to know one another and become friends?"

Din felt ready to combust, and he's sure his whole body looks like blood. Amalas flushes brightly, and Yarick looks victorious. She hands Grogu over to Din and starts standing slowly, and Yarick, taking that as a sign of aggression, starts backing away before taking off in a run, Amalas following close behind, shouting at him in a language he did not know. Huh, he hadn't read that Stewjoni had a native tongue, but maybe he was missing something? He'd ask Leonida at lunch later.

For now, he watched the beautiful Jedi Queen of Stewjon chase her Captain in the morning rays, enraptured by the sound of laughter in the morning air.

_What a beautiful thing._

* * *

Rune and Grogu got along _amazingly_ , to Din's surprise. He knew that he got along with the kids on Sorgan, and then that day when he played with the kids in the field their second day here, so... Din winced. He really needed to get Din more time with kids his "age".

Leonida stretches out on the pillows as the two run around in the field surrounding the covered gazebo, a little walk from the palace, but in a nice spot where they got enough sun and shade, and where the kids could run around in their sight.

"They sure are happy." Leonida comments, sliding her hand over her belly. Din smiles, nodding. He knows she can't see the soft look he probably has on his face, and he's grateful. "I hope you do not mind being alone with me, I made sure it was alright with Amalas." He turns to look at her, seeing her slightly worried expression. She was tall, that was the first thing he had noticed about her, maybe just a couple of inches shorter than Amalas, considering the queen was his height, with short, shoulder length fire red hair and bright green eyes and green markings that swirled twice on her cheekbones.

"Oh, it's okay. I... It was nice of you to invite me for lunch. I've been cooped up in my room the past couple of weeks with only Gloxia and doctors visiting, so..." He trails off, reaching to rub the back of his neck. "Your husband is okay with this?"

"Oh, yes. Amalas pulled him into her meetings today. He _is_ still a prince, so might as well share her duties with him, huh?" Din actually laughs at that. "So, tell me, how long have you and Amalas been courting each other?"

His laugh breaks off into a choked noise.

"Excuse me?" She smirks at him playfully.

"Anyone with eyes can see that you two are clearly together. So, how long?"

"A-About three weeks, maybe? Time has gone by really fast since I got here..." Well, maybe it wasn't three weeks. Sheesh, how long had he been here?

"Are you in love with her?" He raises his head from staring at the blanket to look at her, and he's startled to find her completely serious. That's new.

"...I am."

O...Kay? Where had that come from? Why was it so easy to talk to this woman, when he had just met her yesterday?

Leonida tilts her head. "May I give you a... Warning of sorts?"

"A warning?"

"Everyone has known Amalas since the moment Obed and Adola announced her adoption to the planet. They had tried to find her birth family, but no one claimed her, and it turned out she was with her birth family all along. I begin as a maidservant in the palace when I was seventeen years old, and I was the one who walked in to find everything floating when she found out how to use the Force. Jedi were no mystery to us."

Din nods. "The whole planet is strong with the Force, I've heard it a lot recently. And that the Jedi were part of the liberation of your people." Leonida nods, smiling almost proudly.

"I see you have been reading our history." He blushes slightly, nodding for her to continue. "When Master Jinn came to confirm that she was Force-sensitive, the older staff were worried they would take away another of our family members. They had taken away Prince Obi-Wan, so wouldn't they do the same to Amalas? But when he refused to take her, to say the least we were happy. We loved her, and we couldn't imagine having her grow up in the Jedi Order."

Leonida shifts, pushing a pillow behind her back before leaning against it, her gaze focused on the horizon. "When we discovered that she was actually the granddaughter of Obed and Adola, of Prince Obi-Wan, we were... I'm not really sure how to describe that feeling we had. Hearing about her battles, how her nicknames she received during the time of the Clone Wars... I think that was when the king and queen realized she would make a fantastic queen, and they were right. Amalas has ruled this planet with a kind, just heart. But let me give you this warning, Mandalorian."

She adjusts so she's staring at him, her eyes practically glowing in the rays that caught her face, and he slightly recoils at the sight of the most serious expression on a person's face.

"Amalas may be kindhearted, loving and caring, but that woman is someone you should fear. She is a goddess in her own way, and she is someone you should never take for granted. She is not called the Dread Queen or feared by the Empire for nothing. Even the New Republic fears her, and she worked alongside them in the Rebellion." She reaches and grasps his arm, giving him a stern look.

"Amalas should always be viewed as your strongest ally, but the moment you do something that wrongs her, do not be surprised when it comes back to haunt you, because she will find you, and she will do everything in her power to make you suffer."

_Glowing blue eyes flash in front of his vision, and distant screams sound in the back of his head..._

Din gulps, a cold sweat gathering at the nape of his neck.

Then, like a switch on a control board, Leonida smiles brightly at him.

"Are you hungry?"

* * *

Din stretched out under the covers, holding his breath before letting out a happy groan, followed by a sigh, and then he rolled his head over to look at the balcony doors, and met a loving gaze from blue eyes.

His reflexes were far too fast, and he jumped out of bed, grabbing his dagger from where he kept it on the side table and pointing it at Amalas, who just laughs, tightening her grip on his pillow.

"Good morning!" She chirps, unfazed from the sudden defensive stance.

"The actual _fuck_ , Amalas?"

"You are cute when you sleep." She tilts her head. "Did you have a late night or something? It's past your usual time of getting up."

Din stares at her, blinking for a minute before he looks over at the clock on his table. The numbers were blurry, but he was able to make out that it was 7:34.

"Oh, shit!" He heard Grogu whine in dismay at the loud voices, and he quickly scrambles to get his training clothes. Poor Yarick must be trying to figure out where the hell he was, having been waiting for thirty minutes now. He hears her giggle before she's wrapping her arms around his waist, and he stiffens, blinking at the sudden touch. She presses her cheek to his shoulder, sighing softly.

"A-Amalas? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You were really tired yesterday... Didn't see you all too much..." His breath hitches as the palms of her hands slide on his stomach. "Were you busy?"

"Pretty much. Preparations for the festival are ramping up, so Sylas wants my input. I was offworld last year, so they're excited to have me so hands on this year..." She sighs, nuzzling the fabric of his shirt. "I need you to look your best today, after you spar with Yarick."

"W-Why?"

"Because my parents are coming home."


	21. "King of Stewjon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guyssssss 5300 hits?! You guys have no idea how much your views and kudos and everything else means to me! I light up when I read a comment, and it just makes my day! Thank you so much for you support!!! I hope I don't disappoint you guys oWo. Thank you!!!!
> 
> This chapter is just Din having a panic attack cause he's meeting the "parents".
> 
> Also for clarification, Amalas was raised by her grandparents, Obi-Wan's parents, but because she didn't know who her true parents were until she was sixteen, she was calling them mother and father since she was a child. I just wanted to clear it up before you guys got confused while reading this chapter. But she's continued to call them mother and father for years after Obi-Wan and Satine anyway. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy chapter twenty one!

_Why am I so damn nervous? It's just her grandparents, who also happen to be the former king and queen of the planet I am a guest on, and their granddaughter is the woman I'm trying to court. Okay, yeah, I know why I'm nervous._

Sometimes, Din wanted to shout into oblivion.

Yarick glances at him as he fidgets for the fiftieth time in ten minutes, raising his eyebrow slightly. Din stood to Yarick's left while Gloxia was at Yarick's right. The two were dressed formally, their armor looking polished and clean and neat, and Din was the same. After his and Yarick's lessons, he immediately went back to his room once he dropped off Grogu with the caretaker, took a shower then cleaned his armor and he even found a new cape that didn't have holes in it to wear. It was dark gray and made out of wool, similar to his last cape, but he didn't have a second cape, so it led him to wonder if Amalas had provided him with a couple of capes without him knowing. He hadn't worn his cape in a while, after all.

He didn't wear any of his weapons, save for his blade tucked in his boot, just so that way the king and queen didn't feel threatened. Sure, Mandalorians were known for their arsenal, but this was her grandparents, so he didn't want to be too stiff when he met them, which was a first. His blaster... His blaster had always been a defense for him, like a shield.

"You okay?" Yarick whispers worriedly. Din shakes his head.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Just a little bit. Don't worry, Obed and Adola are the nicest people." Yarick gently pumps Din's pauldron with his own. "They'll like you."

One can hope, Din supposed.

He chewed his bottom lip as he turned to look at Amalas, who stood a few feet away. They had been waiting on the landing platform for their arrival for about twenty minutes now, the suns at their noon peak. Despite it being practically summer, he wasn't sweating from the heat, rather from nerves. Maker, what was happening to him that he was nervous about meeting two royals? He'd met tons of dignitaries in his time as a bounty hunter, this should be no different, right? But then again, they also weren't the couple who raised the woman he was courting, either.

Amalas was a vision this afternoon. Her hair was braided elegantly over her shoulder again like yesterday, with the same little braids fading into the braid, and she wore a different circlet today, this one a braided gold with a gem in the middle of it, laying right on her forehead. She wore a beautiful teal dress that fell to her knees with a gold belt, the sleeves trimmed to fall a couple of inches above her markings on her biceps, and the collar dipped into a V cut. She wore her gem necklace as always with two smaller gold necklaces and her gold communication bracelet on her left wrist.

Maker, she was stunning.

Omari stood to her left, his hands behind his back as they chat quietly, Leonida next to his side as Rune waits actually patiently by her leg, fiddling with some sort of cubed puzzle. He couldn't quite get Leonida's warning out of his head. Of course he knew that Amalas was powerful, both as an ally and most likely as an enemy. He fought against her, he knows how strong she is even after not sleeping and fighting off droids for three hours, and she still almost won. Not to mention the fight with Bo-Katan, and the way her injuries were when she informed him that she took down the assassin. Or when they were on Gideon's cruiser, and she took down those droids by herself, caused mass mayhem across the cruiser and killed Gideon by herself...

Din couldn't imagine what she's like when she's _really_ pissed off.

He shivers involuntarily when he thinks of her glowing eyes in that one image, the memory of the screams popping up along with it. Before he can think about it any further, a silver transport cruiser appears over the horizon, catching everyone's attention. He notices how the guards, Yarick, Gloxia, Amalas and Omari straighten. He does the same thing, despite the pull in his back at the action. The cruiser comes to a stop against the platform and slowly lowers, the door opening smoothly, and an older man steps down before lifting his hand to help the woman behind him down.

Din swallows thickly, hoping that his vocoder didn't pick it up.

Amalas was right, the people here really didn't age, did they?

Obed, her grandfather, was a handsome older man that Din felt a strange pull to. He simply radiated a kind aura that would make anyone draw to him. He had dark copper hair that was cut into a modest, clean looking style, a small braid behind his ear, and the color of his hair looked like fire with the suns. Well, almost all of the people he's met here has hair that looks like fire with the suns but it just was such a true viewpoint. He has stunning blue eyes like Amalas's, a nicely trimmed beard, and gold markings similar to Omari's, without the flower like symbol in between his eyebrows. He wore a simple dark blue tunic that was high collared and short sleeved. Weavings of gold thread embroidered the edgings of the sleeves. He wore black pants and similar black shoes that Amalas was wearing yesterday, and a simple gold belt that hugged his waist. He wore a simple gold band on his left ring finger.

Adola was breathtaking, as he figured she would be, considering who her granddaughter is. Her hair is a brighter copper than her husband's, gold ribbons weaved through the braid that fell over her shoulder, the tip ending at her hip. Loose curly bangs framed her face elegantly, giving her a much younger look. Her eyes were a dark green but shone brightly with the suns hitting them, and she had the same gold markings as Amalas. She wore a beautiful red loose flowing blouse with a silver flower design on it, dark navy pants that were loose around her legs and black sandals. She was really stunning. She wore a gold ring on her left ring finger too, but hers had clear gems in a beautiful design on it instead of just the band.

Briefly, Din wondered how the genetics worked for the royal family. He figured their markings were all a mix of sorts, and wondered if that when a prince or princess married, do the spouse's markings change to gold to show their position? He supposed he needed to do some more research on that.

"There's my baby!" Adola squealed as she pulled Amalas in for the tightest hug Din had ever seen, and his heart ached slightly for his own mother. Considering the fact the last time he was able to hold his mother was right before she died...

Din squeezes his eyes shut to combat the memory, instead refocusing on the family as they reunited.

Amalas laughs, hugging her back. "You just saw me a couple of weeks ago."

"But still! So much as changed in such a short period of time." Adola pokes Amalas's nose lightly, giving her a teasing look. "Staying out of trouble?"

"Sure."

"Amalas."

"As much as I can being queen." Amalas replies, smirking teasingly at the former queen. Adola gives her the most unimpressed look Din has ever seen and he has to resist the laugh that builds in his throat.

"Do not patronize her, dear. She has had a lot of things on her plate." Obed steps up next, wrapping her up tightly and swaying her. "How is my favorite child?" Omari scoffs, crossing his arms as Leonida laughs, quickly covering it up with a cough when Omari throws her an offended glare.

"I am right here, Father."

"Oh! Omari, I didn't see you there!" Obed claps Omari on the shoulder, making him grunt. Din looked up at Yarick for an explanation. Okay, _that_ felt weird to think that he had to actually look up at Yarick. Wow, he felt tiny all of a sudden. _Why do I feel tiny? I was just being held in his arms a little while ago._

"Amalas is the golden child, despite being the most wild out of all of them." Yarick whispers quickly, and Din holds back a laugh. Amalas, the golden child? That was hard to think about after all of the stories they told him. But Din supposed if he was the only boy in a family of all girls with weird special powers, he might be the golden child, too.

Adola gasps once she sees Leonida and grabs her hands, looking bright as she looks up at her daughter-in-law. "Oh my Force, are you-!?

"I am!" Leonida laughs. "We wanted to wait until we got here to tell you." Adola squeals excitedly, kissing her cheeks happily before kneeling down, looking around as if she doesn't see Rune. He giggles, clutching the cube to his chest as he watches his grandmother.

"Hmm, where is my grandson? I cannot seem to find him anywhere..."

"Grandma, I'm right here!"

"What?! Who said that!?" She looks around, and Din can't help but smile, his heart warming at the sight. He notices Amalas twitch out of the corner of his visor, and quickly blocks off the emotions he was probably flooding into their bond. Sure, they had discussed the whole... Pregnancy and breeding kink a while back, but it was far too early to even consider kids yet.

But... Amalas _would_ be a stunning mother. She was already so good with Grogu, and with how many nieces and nephews she has according to Gloxia and Yarick, then she would be amazing with kids of her own. And if this was the family the baby would be born into? Din was honestly all for it.

Adola laughs after teasing Rune a bit more, grabbing him and hoisting him up to plant kisses all over his face. Rune squeals in dismay before hugging her back, nuzzling into her neck as she holds him tightly, nuzzling his cheek with her nose, and as she was going to turn to Amalas, she caught Din out of the corner of her eye, and immediately turned to him, blinking in surprise.

Instinctively, everything in him screamed at him to get defensive, but for some reason, his feet felt like lead and he couldn't move, not even as she came toward him.

"Good luck." Yarick shoots at him quickly before he and Gloxia step off to the side.

"Amalas! Is this the Mandalorian you were telling us about? I do not think I have ever seen this much pure Beskar before!" Adola comes to a stop in front of him, Rune looking up at him curiously, and Din manages a slight bow of his head. Amalas and Obed follow behind, with Omari and Leonida trailing behind, the two of them exchanging quiet whispers. Amalas throws him a quick apologetic glance as she crosses her arms.

"Mother, Father, this is..." Amalas trails off, furrowing her eyebrows as if she didn't know what to introduce him as. Calling him Mando must be getting exhausting for her to continuously use, so...

"Din." He quickly says, bowing slightly in the way that Yarick taught him; arms to the side, shoulders straight and even, and a slight tip forward. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. Thank you for welcoming me to Stewjon."

"Oh, and polite!" Adola reaches and places her palm on his helmet, gently turning his head left to right to get a look at him and he can't help the blush that rises to his face. "Very finely crafted armor. Amalas told us about your history. It was very Mandalorian of you to take in a youngling like that, despite how you took him in.

"It was?" Adola chuckles lightly. Obed eyes him carefully before smiling slowly, a hidden warmth to the smile, but no less nerve-wracking, and Din wanted to bolt so badly in the other direction and lock himself away in his room.

"I hope she has been treating you fairly."

"Father!"

"Sure, let's go with fair." He grins, and the two laugh, Amalas's cheeks flushing a pretty red in embarrassment. Huh, he's not sure where that came from, but he did like seeing Amalas get worked up.

"Oh, I like him." Adola says, taking his left side and wrapping her arm around his own, still supporting Rune on her hip. He sure is glad no one can see his panic, but he lifts his arm where she can lay her hand on his forearm as they begin walking back inside. Amalas sulks behind them, glaring at Yarick and Gloxia who snicker from her flank.

"So, Din, Amalas told us that you are learning about Stewjon." Obed says as he walks on the left of Adola. He takes Rune from Adola, and Adola looks up at Din, laying her other hand over the one around his bicep.

"Yes, that's right." Din replies, hoping they don't hear the slight shake in his voice. "Since she extended the invitation for me to stay while she trains my, uh, foundling, I wanted to know her culture." Adola laughs pleasantly.

"I figured you would be smart, but I did not figure you would like to read."

"I-I do like to read, I just never had access to the kind of... Information like you have here when I was a bounty hunter."

Oh. How weird was that to say.

When he _was_ a bounty hunter.

"That is great, though." Obed comments. "It is good that you have such a studious mind. It makes for a good leader."

 _And what does that mean?_ He wants to ask, panic bubbling in his chest. What were they insinuating?

"Ahem." Amalas clears her throat loudly from behind them.

"Yes, dear?" Adola asks, looking over her shoulder and blinking her lashes at Amalas. She narrows her eyes in response to that.

"I was hoping to talk to you and Father about the preparations this year. There are some modifications that involve you, so I just figured we could go over all of that soon."

"Yes, yes, we will get to that." Adola waves at her. "Relax, we would like to get at least a little settled before you jump on us. Not to mention get to know him." Din isn't sure why the former queen seemed to purr the last couple of words, but he remained calm, his attention focusing on how Amalas huffed quietly at the response.

"So, what have you learned so far?"

"Mother!"

"I am just asking!" Adola pulls away from him as they arrive in the foyer, and she puts her fists on her hips, huffing at Amalas. "I am simply curious of what he knows and what he does not, just in case I scare him. Have you even told him about how our species is very-"

"No, Mother, I have not!" Amalas yelps, her face turning a bright red again. "We have not... _Discussed_ that part of our culture." Din blinks. What part? It couldn't be about their biology, because he already knew about that first hand. Did she mean about their slavery? No, that couldn't be it either. He wondered what it could be that she was hesitant to tell him about. He'll have to ask her tonight.

"I will tell him before the festival. Let's go get you settled and I can explain what is going on while we walk. We can talk more to Din at dinner."

Din went cold at that. Dinner? They were all going to have _dinner_ and he was supposed to join them? Din supposed that it would be rude to not attend, but...

"Wren, Asher and Owen have yet to arrive, though." Obed points out. "We cannot have dinner without them. Asher and Owen said they were leaving at the same time at us, and it should not have taken that long to have arrive either."

"They never had good time management, love." Adola reminds, waving her hand as if waving it off. "They could never show up to any function on time."

"I know you are right, but usually only fifteen minutes late." Adola rolls her eyes before turning back to Din.

"You must feel overwhelmed by all of this."

"Only slightly." Her lips twitch up in amusement before she masks it over a calm, apologetic gaze.

"Well, since Amalas is being so _pushy_ about getting us settled, I suppose we shall listen to that and go relax for a bit before dinner." Adola pats his vambrace comfortingly, smiling up at him before turning back toward Amalas, gesturing towards her.

"Lead the way, _Your Majesty._ "

Din was pretty sure her glare could melt Beskar. The two take her sides, wrapping their arms around her as they walk upstairs, a couple of maidservants with luggage following closely. Omari and Leonida laugh at each other and glance at Din before following them, considering Obed was still holding Rune, leaving Din, Gloxia and Yarick in the foyer. As soon as they were out of sight and their voices diminished, Din let his shoulders sag and a sigh of relief came out before he could stop it, stiffening back up when Gloxia and Yarick looked over at him with raised eyebrows.

"Were you nervous?" Yarick teases and Din clenches his fists.

"No. Just overwhelmed by it all."

"I mean, Adola and Obed are the second most powerful people on the planet." Gloxia says, leaning against her spear with a smirk on her face.

"That doesn't help!" Din panics, trying to not let his voice crack. "How does the ladder even work here?"

"Similar to a standard monarchy." Yarick points in the air, as if drawing into it. "You have Amalas at the top, as queen and leader of the people. If something were to happen to her if she wasn't married, the mantel would be turned over to the former king and queen. If she was married, then full responsibilities would be turned over to her partner. However, if something happened to the former king and queen, it would either be passed down to one of her brothers or... Well, to me or Gloxia."

"Really?"

"Yup." Gloxia rolls her eyes. "Since Amalas was the Crown Princess after her brothers abdicated the throne one after another, and then became queen, all responsibilities fall on her until she gets married, but even then, only the king shoulders some of the responsibility."

"What does that mean?"

"Basically," Yarick says, making his head turn back to him, "Amalas is the sole leader of Stewjon because she was crowned specifically for it, same with Obed. So, their partners are almost... Figures in a sense." Din furrows his eyebrows and goes quiet as he ponders that for a minute. It made sense as to why she never seemed to have a moment of breathing except for when she was on missions, but even then she was busy.

"Why did Adola say that having a studious mind made a great leader?" Gloxa laughs loudly while Yarick smirks and shakes his head. "What?"

"You really haven't thought that far into the future, have you?"

"What do you mean?" Gloxia grins at him, tilting her head at him, her pretty eyes almost predatory to him.

"Mando, he means if you and Amalas succeed courting each other to the point of marriage, that means you become _king_ of Stewjon."

The words slammed into him like a blast from an explosion. And he should know, he's been blown up a few times. His breath stopped, his body went rigid and lit up with fire at the same time it went cold, and he immediately started tugging at his gloves nervously.

_King of Stewjon?_

Yarick pats his pauldron roughly, making him grunt slightly. "Relax. Amalas won't do anything without talking to you first. I mean, a few things she might, but do not worry too much. You'll age faster."

"Sorry, I just... I never really... I never thought that taking a bounty would get get me to this point."

"What? To the point that you are courting a Jedi, a Mandalorian's ancient enemy, raising a tiny green gremlin who happens to be Force-sensitive, and now thinking about being a king? Yeah, I can see why you never thought that, too." Yarick laughs at Din's unimpressed look at Gloxia, the Lieutenant simply smirking at him.

"Can you guys just... Give me a crash course of everything before this dinner tonight so I don't make a complete and utter fool of myself?" The two glance at each other, before looking at him with serious expressions, their eyebrows scrunched together.

"Are you sure you want that?"

"Please? Just so that way Amalas doesn't think she's dating a total moron?" Yarick laughs and slaps his large hand on his upper back, making him grunt once more, nodding ecstatically.

"You may be dumb, but you are not a moron. Come on, let's go to the library. It'll be better in there."

* * *

Amalas sighs as she plops down in her chair after finally managing to get away from her grandparents and brother, needing to finish these damn reports before she totally got sidetracked.

Until she realized she needed the _one_ damn file from the library archives for the report she was working on.

"Son of a..." She clenched her fists and sighed, pushing back from the desk and standing. She didn't want to trouble Priscilla, who was probably stressed as is with taking up the duties from Griselle being in the hospital, and figured it would be nice to get a small walk in before she sat down for a few hours before dinner.

The preparations were going smoothly, from what she could tell from the small banners and flags and ribbons with fabric on them that were being hung, as well as the dreamy lights that were being placed on the railings bars. Even if the palace wasn't the main hub for the festival, there would still be foot traffic going in and out of the place, and in the morning, with her entire family behind her, she would make the announcement that the threats were extinguished and that both Din and Griselle were healing. According to Gloxia, they were planning on waking Griselle up this evening, the bacta having done its work and healing the major injury, she was healing faster than a normal human might. Even Din took a while to heal, and she could tell he was still feeling the after effects from the attack.

Poor Din. Amalas knew he didn't sign up for any of the crap he was going through, just because he took a bounty that happened to be high in price and he wanted to, you know, actually have stuff to eat and have? Ammo and fuel were not cheap nowadays, especially post Empire and the destruction it left. Not to mention the amount of teasing he was enduring with her people about their relationship? Boy, he was probably shaking under all that armor and padding. The way he got so incredibly nervous when she told him that her parents were arriving was adorable and worrying, because she wasn't sure if it was a good nervous or if he was about to disappear into the forest again kind of nervous.

Before she knew it, she was pulling the file out of its file. Standard planets and places would have data and technology to do this kind of work, and they did, but paper filing was a bit easier and it kept multiple families in business.

Amalas pauses when she hears a few voices talking, and walks over to the side of the balcony to slyly lean over to see if she could see the people making the noise.

What she didn't expect was for it to be Yarick, Din and Gloxia gathered around a table, a couple of history books spread open on the table, along with a few-

_Gossip magazines?! Why in the Force are they showing him those?!_

"Okay, hold up." Din says, raising his hands. He'd taken off his cape and draped it over the chair, and had even taken off his _gloves?!_

_The fuck was going on here?_

"You guys are... Are _exhibitionists?"_

_Oh, no, please do not be what I think it is._

"It's not uncommon for you to find couples engaging in actions across the city." Gloxia says nonchalantly. She and Yarick had taken off their helmets and gloves for this conversation, and she could feel the amusement rolling off of them, mixing in with the shock from Din. "It's not illegal, and it's actually encouraged for people to give into their desires."

"So the pheromones-" Din cuts himself off but it's too late. He just outed himself, and now Gloxia and Yarick seemed _very_ interested in how he knew that. Amalas almost face-palms and sighs. _Oh, Din, you poor man._

"And where did you learn that we have pheromones?"

"In a book!"

Oh, thank the Maker for his quick thinking. 

The two looked upset at the quick answer, but nodded and backed off, much to both of Amalas's and Din's relief.

"Usually, people just mind their own business and leave them to it. Because of our history, it's basically a big "fuck you" to the slavers to enslaved Stewjon in the old days." Gloxia explains, putting her elbow on the back of her chair as she leans sideways slightly. "Anyway, what else do you want to know?"

Din goes quiet for a minute while he contemplates the question and Amalas can't help but lean against the railing to watch for a bit longer. The reports could wait ten more minutes. A servant comes by during the silence, setting down a plate of sweet rolls on the table, along with a bowl of snacks to munch on. Well, at least they were feeding themselves. The servant can't seem to stop staring at Din's hands that he put back on the table while she sets the food down, and Amalas can't help but smirk. The servant hastily bows to the three of them and quickly leaves, a bright blush on her cheeks. The three don't pay attention, but listen until the door shuts and that's when Din speaks up again.

"The whole thing about... The... King stuff..." His voice is quiet, and Amalas's eyebrows raise. What were they telling him now? "Do you think Amalas has really thought that far ahead? Do you think... Do you really think she considers me to be husband material?"

"I certainly do." Gloxia says, popping a wheat chip into her mouth. "I mean, you're strong and smart but you're also kind and empathetic. I may not know you that well yet, but I can see why Amalas likes you."

"Not to mention how quickly you took an interest in her culture. That alone speaks words that may not even need to be spoken." Yarick adds, shredding a piece off a sweet roll slowly. "You were confined to what you knew with the covert you grew up in, and then suddenly you find the kid and you're introduced to space wizards. But you did seem to take it in stride when you met Amalas."

"I had to. It was all sudden so when she showed up, I took what I got. I didn't think I would be here now. I mean, I'm still processing everything."

Yarick and Gloxia glance at each other. Yarick quickly pops the piece into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as they fall into a short silence and then Yarick leans forward, furrowing his eyebrows at him.

"Din. Tell me this."

"What?"

"Name one trait about Amalas that you find the most amazing about her."

Din slightly leans back at the request, and he intertwines his fingers, his helmet bowing down toward the direction of his fingers, and Amalas leans in closer to hear. He's quiet for some time while he thinks about it, and Amalas wants to invade and see what he's thinking about, but then, after about three minutes of silence, he looks up at them again.

"Her intelligence." Amalas raises her eyebrows in time with Yarick's and Gloxia's raise, and they tilt their heads at him. Yarick crosses his arms as he leans back into the chair.

"Why?"

"She uses it not only for her benefit, but for those around her. Those who have that high of intelligence don't usually help others. That same intelligence also extends into what makes her an amazing person. She's cunning and calculated, and you wouldn't know what she's thinking until the plan is actually in action. She makes multiple plans in case one doesn't go the right way, and she's strategic in the way where she puts people who have the greatest chance of winning together to achieve that. But then it also extends further into her kindness and her just heart. Just because she's so powerful doesn't mean she needs to brag about it. She always gets shy when someone praises her efforts, but she's not blind to her power either. Amalas doesn't flaunt her power until she absolutely needs to, adding to that calculating trait of hers."

She notices how he shifts in his seat, his movements shy as Yarick and Gloxia stare at him with wide eyes, and she just knows he's smiling.

"It's what makes her such a great queen and person, both in their individual selves. And I think that should be admired."

Amalas tears up, and before she can hear anymore, she quickly leaves the library in silence.

* * *

Din was tired. After a lot of crash course advice from Yarick and Gloxia, Din was ready to go to bed, but there was still the manner of dinner. Yarick and Gloxia had to return to their shifts after taking a long break, so Din was left to his own devices.

So, he went and got Grogu from the caretaker and went back to the room. At least he could pass a little time before dinner. Maybe a maidservant would come get him for it. He hoped, anyway.

Grogu tugging on his cape caught his attention as he pulled off his helmet, looking down at his kid as his short little fingers lifted up a folded piece of parchment to him.

"What do you got there? A note?" He bends down and takes it, unfolding it before laying it flat on the dresser, and once he registered the scrawled figures on it, he _teared up._

He bent down and picked him up, holding him on his arm as he slid his fingers over the figures. They were messy, but he could clearly see that he tried to draw Ahsoka, Cara... It looked like Greef to the left by Cara, and then he noticed the familiar green and red of Boba and what seemed like Fennec, maybe? And even _Cobb,_ who stood next to the depiction of Din and by Din's leg was Grogu himself. And then, right next to Grogu, was Amalas.

"Did you... Did you draw this yourself?"

"Patu!" And slapped Din's cheeks with his hands. Din can't help but laugh, pulling him close and nuzzling his wrinkled head.

"Thank you. You just made my day." Grogu squealed happily, clenching the fabric of his cape, and nuzzled up into his neck.

They relaxed for some time. Grogu fell asleep halfway through a book, so Din set him in his cradle and then set to sharping his spear. He really needed to get back to training, or his muscles would grow weak. Maybe Yarick would be up for some spearing practice after the festival and the doctor wasn't breathing over his neck about certain activities... Even though he already was going behind his back in the first place.

A knock makes him look up from his spear, pausing his movement briefly. "Who is it?"

"Just me." Amalas replies through the other side, and he smiles.

"Come in." Amalas opens the door and peeks in, looking around and spotting him on the couch, perking up before stepping in all the way. She shuts the door and then leans to see Grogu in the cradle.

"How long has he been asleep?"

"For a while now." She nods and walks over as he leans his spear against the wall, scooting his legs back so she can pass him, but instead, she stands in front of him and braces her hands on his shoulders, sliding her legs on either side of his legs, and promptly lowers herself into his lap.

"W-What are you doing?" He asks, the shake in his voice embarrassing, but he lifts his hands and sets them on her waist, admiring how the soft fabric of her dress clung to her figure extremely well without being overly tight.

"Just saying hi to you." She replies, gliding her fingers through his hair and he moans softly. Maker, he loves that feeling. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, how about you? Did your parents settle okay?"

"Yes, they did." She swirls a curl around his finger, leaning in and kissing his nose softly. "My other brothers have arrived."

His grip on her waist slightly tightens. "Is that so?"

"Yes. I came to get you for dinner."

"Are you sure you want me there? I don't want them to... Think I'm intruding, especially if you haven't seen them in a while." Amalas hums in response to that, remaining quiet. "It's not that I'm trying to avoid them, it's just... These past few weeks have been a bit overwhelming..."

"I understand that. But they would like to meet you, and I know you will get along with them."

"Me, a rough bounty hunter with royals?"

"You get along with me."

"But you're different..." He lowers his head, sighing as she rubs the back of his neck with her knuckles. "Alright, but can Grogu come, too?"

"Of course he can. Why would he not?" He slightly shrugs and she laughs, settling fully on his lap and he lets out a strangled groan. "Oh, sorry."

"No, you're fine." He wraps an arm around her waist, leaning forward and grabbing the picture off the table. "Look what Grogu made today when he was with the caretaker." She takes it, her eyes lighting up as she recognizes the figures.

"Oh, he's too cute..." She points at Cobb, giving him a curious look. "Who is this?"

"That's Cobb, I met him on Tatooine when I was searching for more Mandalorians. He was the marshal of a tiny village, and I helped him slay the Krayt Dragon." Amalas goes quiet, opening her mouth before shutting it, and then looks at him with raised eyebrows. 

"I'm sorry, did you just say you _slayed_ a Krayt Dragon?"

"Yes."

"I thought Grogu was just being overdramatic, but now I see that he was not." She looks at the picture again, smiling softly. "It is good he's starting to learn this. Maybe next will be some words."

"Okay, so I know he's fifty years old, but how old is he like... Mentally?"

"About maybe five or six years old."

"Really? He's really smart."

"He is. But like I said, maybe. He can speak full sentences, but his voice is a child's, so some of his pronunciation is not the greatest." Din nods, thinking about that. He obviously knows colors and shapes, and now how to draw, and he knows how to babble, but he hoped soon he would be able to talk. Guess he needed to do some more talking with him.

Amalas shifts her hips and he jumps in shock, making her stop, and then look down at him as he looked away, his face burning.

"Are you..."

"No."

"You are!" She giggles, and he jumps again when she rubs against him a second time, smirking down at him. "So sensitive."

"D-Didn't you say all of your family is here?"

"Yes, and?"

"And shouldn't we go greet them?"

Amalas sighs in disappointment. "You are no fun."

"You're no fun."

"I am loads of fun."

"Sure, prove it."

The look he got in response to that as she got off of his lap made his heart skip a beat. Oh, he should not have just said that. Surprisingly, though, she says nothing and gestures to Grogu.

"Want to wake him?"

* * *

So.

Her brothers weren't intimidating at all.

Sarcasm intended.

Din wasn't sure why he was so nervous about them. He's encountered men way bigger than her brothers and father, has taken down multiple men just like them, and has killed dozens even smaller.

But _holy shit,_ the power they had to intimidate the infamous Mandalorian bounty hunter was fucking impressive.

Amalas gave him a debriefing of her brothers. He already knew their names from Gloxia, but it was a nice refresher. The oldest brother, the first son, was Owen, and he was about twenty years older than Amalas, but when Din met him, he looked like he was in his mid-thirties at best. His hair was a dark auburn with slight silver in his beard, and his hair fell into a low ponytail down his back, stopping midway between his shoulder blades, dark, intelligent blue eyes and a bit darker skin than the rest of his family. Freckles spotted his face, and just like Obed, he had the same gold markings. He's married to Illethiya, a beautiful shorter woman with honey red colored hair, bright green eyes and dozens of freckles on her face and arms. They had two kids, Elenta, who was sixteen, and looked exactly like her mother, but with Owen's blue eyes instead of green, and Idune, who was twelve, and was a mix between them, with the dark auburn hair in a short ponytail but bright green eyes and a smaller amount of freckles.

Then, there was Asher, who was the second son, was taller than Din, maybe by two inches, but still tall and broad, like a brawler. His hair was short, closely cropped to his scalp, but with a good length on top that was swept to the side, and was a bright copper like Adola's, bright blue eyes and had the most prominent freckles like Illethiya. He was married to Aylonia, almost the same height as Amalas, with dark red hair braided down her back, bluish-green eyes, and had a small circle shaped birthmark underneath her right eye. They have four kids, Aria, who is eighteen, Serena, who is fifteen, Awen who is thirteen, and Dimitri, who is nine. The four kids looked like mixes of their parents, and with the little sea of red hair, Din felt dizzy staring at the group.

Finally, there was Wren, the other delegate for the New Republic, and the third son. He had fiery red hair, cut in a neat, modest style, and dark green eyes like Adola. He was married to a quiet, petite woman named Alvaria with shoulder length copper curls, green eyes and freckles, and they had a daughter named Briona who was eight, and looked like a mini version of Alvaria.

Wren was probably the kindest of the brothers, and even shook his hand when no one else did as they were introduced. He _was_ a delegate for the New Republic, so he probably had seen all sorts of people. Din was no different. At least that's what he came to the conclusion of.

Dinner was quiet, save for the occasional whispers from the kids when they snuck glances over at Grogu who made himself at home on Amalas's lap, but no one said a word. Amalas sat at the head of the table with Din to her right and Obed to her left, followed by Adola, then down. Rune was sat next to Din, but the kid was quiet and sweet, so Din didn't mind it. The only awkward thing was the fact that everyone else was eating and he wasn't.

He wondered if Amalas had told everyone about his helmet thing beforehand, and if so, he would have to repay her somehow. Grogu was happily nibbling on... Something, and was drifting off in her arms, and Din couldn't help but smile, before his attention is snapped towards Obed as he clears his throat to break the silence.

"So, will you be joining us for the festival this year?"

"Yes, Amalas invited me to it since we are staying here. Said that it would be a nice welcome to the people." Obed smiles widely and nods in agreement. Owen shifts in his seat as he takes a sip from his glass, setting it down slowly before fixing him with an even gaze.

"Do you know what goes on at the Liberty Festival and why we celebrate it?" Silverware clanks on a plate and everyone looks over to Amalas, who is giving Owen a very fiery glare.

"Owen." Her tone is warning, but Din gently reaches without thinking and lays his hand on her arm reassuringly. If they doubted him, then he was just going to have to prove them wrong.

"The festival is celebrated every year in honor of the liberation of your people from slavery centuries ago. It opens with the Sunfire Dance that's traditionally performed by the king and queen, and then the whole day is filled with festivities like dancing, food and singing. The whole planet partakes in the event." He shifts slightly in the chair, keeping his gaze even with Owen's as a small smile of pride creeps onto Din's face.

"Has Amalas explained that to you?" Asher asks, and Din shakes his head.

"No, she gave me access to the library, and I did my own reading in my own time. She is the queen and I don't expect her to explain every little detail to me. Sometimes I have to learn things on my own." Amalas throws him a glance of appreciation before returning to her food, and she strokes Grogu's head as he coos quietly while setting against her chest.

"I see." Owen replies smoothly, leaning back in his seat. Illethiya gives him a not so subtle punch to his arm, giving him a glare before turning to Din with a soft gaze.

"Don't mind Owen, he always has to have a stand off with a man that Amalas brings home."

Amalas chokes on her water, sputtering and quickly covering her mouth with her napkin, and Din furrows his eyebrows, turning to Illethiya.

"Who has she brought home?"

"Oh, not like that!" She quickly covers, waving her hands. "Amalas isn't that type of woman, but she's beautiful, so a lot of times, these four will stand off with anybody who even thinks about looking at Amalas that way."

"I told you, I thought she and Fett had a thing for each other way back when!" Alvaria comments, surprising Din with the sudden boldness. He snapped his head to Amalas.

"You and _Fett_ had a thing?" Amalas yelps indignantly, glaring at them all.

"We did not! And there are children present!"

"Yeah, I would prefer not to know about Auntie's personal life..." Aria says from her seat. "Can we be excused?" Everyone excuses their kids, and he trusted them enough to even take Grogu, who happily went, leaving only the adults, but Din can't help staring at Amalas in shock. He _knew_ that there was something more there when they met on that moon before teaming up to get Grogu back. He just never had the courage to ask her.

"Were you guys... Partners, or _partners_?"

"We have worked alongside each other since he was a boy during the Clone Wars." Amalas says, her tone shaky from the shock of the sudden outing. "One time he was too injured and I brought him back to Stewjon so he could heal better. Nothing more happened." Din could feel that she was telling the truth, but... Why would she be so skilled in the bedroom if she wasn't active before him?

His helmet felt extremely warm all of a sudden, and he snapped his head to Yarick, and Amalas yelped.

"What is going through that head of yours!?" She gets up, grabbing him by the arm. "I need to talk to you in private." She yanks him out of his seat before he can produce a word, pausing briefly to turn and point at her family.

"I will deal with all of you later." She hisses, then pushes him out toward the hallway, past Yarick and Gloxia who are snickering quietly to themselves from their posts inside the hall. She pulls him down the hallway before finding a small closet and opening the door, she shoves him inside before closing it behind her.

"Amalas-"

The raise of her finger makes him cut himself off, and he lets out a small whine.

"I didn't mean to insinuate anything, really- I just-" This time, he's cut off by his helmet being pulled off by the Force, and he trembles. Oh, boy, here comes the smack.

"Number one," Amalas's tone was dangerously calm and it made him scared, hunching into himself while he listens. "Boba and I were work partners. We had a strict work relationship and that was it. He was too much of a prude to try to seduce, and number two, Yarick and I have never once slept together that way. I knew he had feelings for me in the past, but that was in the past. He likes someone else now, and it's good for him. And _number three,_ the only man I ever brought home other than Fett was Rex before Order 66. I have had partners in the past, and I understand that it may be jarring, but I was not sure if you wanted to hear about that part of my life. Most partners don't, so I never said anything and kept my mouth shut. Do you get that?"

Din nods slowly, his eyes wide and he's sure he's never felt more vulnerable.

"Good." Then she's stalking toward him and he blinks before her lips are on his, and he melts against her as her hands slide from his cuirass to the belt of his pants and he breaks away to gasp.

"H-Hey, what are you- Mmf!" An invisible hand covers his mouth and he can only watch as she falls to her knees, pulling apart his belt and sliding his pants down to free his erection that he didn't even know he had.

"Don't you remember what I said earlier?" She purrs, licking her lips as his cock is freed from its confinement, springing up and _dripping_ a long string of precum that she quickly wipes up with her finger tip. "That I am loads of fun?"

He can't even cover his mouth to hide the most obscene moan that he's ever heard leak out of his mouth as she licks up a pleasant stripe from his balls to the tip, sliding her tongue into the slit, and his legs nearly give out right then and there.

_Fuck. I want this fun more often._


End file.
